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CRICKET NEWS - The Garden Route Badgers have recorded their third consecutive victory in the Super 8 stage of the Yes Play Pro20 Cup, keeping their hopes of securing a spot in the semi-finals alive.

Captain Janneman Malan and his troops once again raised their game to defeat Dafabet Boland in their own backyard at Boland Park in Paarl, securing a 19-run victory.

It was an afternoon when their loyal and ever-growing fan base preferred to remain glued to their television screens to follow the cricket rather than watch the one-sided rugby encounter in which the world champion Springboks defeated Italy 77-7 in Turin.

Former SWD cricketer and Boland captain Glenton Stuurman won the toss and elected to bowl first.

After losing the wicket of Yaseen Valli (2) with the score on 5, a match-winning partnership of 96 runs between Malan (45 off 37 balls; 2 sixes, 2 fours) and batter of the match Slade van Staden (77 off 51 balls; 3 sixes, 7 fours) put the Badgers on the front foot.

Leo Sadler (16 off 10 balls; 2 fours) and Liam Alder (8 off 4 balls; 1 six) contributed a brisk, unbeaten 24-run partnership off just 10 balls, enabling the Oudtshoorn-based visitors to post a competitive total of 169/5 in their allotted 20 overs.

Boland, needing 170 runs to win, were well on track at 102/2 in the 13th over. However, the dismissal of the dangerous Gavin Kaplan (42 off 34 balls; 1 six, 5 fours) by the ever-reliable Reagon Rhode opened the door for the Badgers.

Gysbert Wege (57 off 41 balls) kept Boland's hopes alive, but his dismissal after 17.2 overs, courtesy of one of three catches taken by captain Malan, effectively put the result beyond doubt. Boland eventually finished on 150/7.

Banele Cele (3/31 in 4 overs), who made a welcome return to the starting eleven, walked away with the bowler of the match award.

He received good support from Sadler (2/40 in 4 overs) and Rhode (2/17 in 4 overs). The outstanding fielding effort by Liyabona Malife also deserves recognition.

The Badgers' quest to pull off one of the biggest upsets in South African domestic cricket in recent years by reaching the semi-finals of this competition now hinges on the outcome of their final Super 8 match against the Cobras at Newlands on Tuesday evening.

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