A distinctly below-par performance from Boland on the opening day of this Supersport Series Super Eight game against Eastern Province may not prove terminal to their chances of making an appearance in the final at the end of the month, but it left

Marcus Prior – MWP01-Mar-2001A distinctly below-par performance from Boland on the opening day of this Supersport Series Super Eight game against Eastern Province may not prove terminal to their chances of making an appearance in the final at the end of the month, but it left acres of room for improvement.On a day which featured one of cricket’s more bizarre interruptions ofplay, Boland were bowled out for just 236 by a determined and disciplinedbowling effort from the Jumbos, all the more impressive as it came with themercury climbing towards forty degrees in the Winelands. By the close,Eastern Province had moved to 21 without loss.A good start from EP, in which both openers were removed with just 31 onthe board, was overshadowed by Mornantau Hayward’s first official warningfor running on the pitch in his follow through. Hayward was convinced therewas something amiss in the alignment of the stumps at either end, and whenthe man who replaced him, Murray Creed, was similarly admonished, he seemedto have a case.A ten-minute delay while the groundsman brought out the tape measuredecided the matter in Hayward’s favour, the stumps found to be fully fivecentimetres off centre. This was not enough to concern umpire Barry Lambson,who considered the discrepancy ‘negligible’ and play duly recommenced.While only Louis Koen (50) and Jonathan Trott (74) ever gained afoothold at the crease, Hayward continued to struggle, eventually orderedfrom the attack after a second and final warning proved insufficient for aman who has looked a ghostly replica of the fearsome strike bowler only lastyear considered a genuine – and genuinely exciting – replacement for AllanDonald.He did, however, have the last laugh over poor Trott, who glanced adelivery speared well down the leg side into the gloves of the diving WayneMurray behind the stumps. Trott has yet to score a first-class hundred, andhis emotional reaction to such a soft dismissal spoke eloquently of hisfrustration.The temperatures are due to soar again on Friday, which looks set to bea long, sweltering day in the field for the home side. They need somethingspecial – it certainly never happened on day one.