Steve Palframan, who has been in the cricket wilderness since late last year, timed the ball sweetly yesterday in his debut for Boland, smashing 71 in 114 minutes against Western Province.
He helped his new province to 175 for nine in their limited-overs match, but it was a bitter-sweet return to form for the former national squad player.
Province passed the Boland total with five wickets in hand, thanks to an unbeaten 71-run partnership between captain John Commins (36) and Paul Kirsten (34).
Palframan was the mainstay in a Boland innings which never gained momentum after losing the first four wickets for 62. But the rangy wicketkeeper brought some respectability to the total with deft touches and power play.
A member of South Africa's World Cup squad and the South African A side's tour of England last year, Palframan was forced to take a back seat in the domestic game last season when Border turned to promising wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher.
Palframan last played provincial cricket on December 12, coincidentally against Boland. He thought long and hard about his cricket future before deciding on a move to the Cape.
"In order to give it a full bash again I needed to come here. I'm not putting myself under the kind of pressure I used to, so I'm trying to enjoy myself as well," he said.
Palframan excepted, WP kept Boland in check with a fine collective effort and then chased the target in a business-like fashion with former Boland opener Lloyd Ferreira and Faiek Davids racing to 50 inside the first 10 overs.
The innings took a dramatic turn when Boland spinners Claude Henderson and Bryan Drew cashed in on a wicket which at times offered generous turn. Province went from 97 for none to 105 for five, with Henderson taking four wickets, before Commins' steady batting and Kirsten's calculated hitting took them to victory.
Date-stamped : 30 Sep97 - 18:05