Border wicketkeeper Ian Mitchell featured in partnerships of 79 for the eighth wicket with Vasbert Drakes and 49 for the ninth with Geoff Love as he helped plug a leak in the visitors' ship and see them through to three batting bonus points at the North West Stadium on Thursday.

Those points go some way to securing their place in next week's five-day final - virtually certain to be held at Newlands after Western Province also grabbed four batting points on Thursday - and another couple for bowling tomorrow, when North West resume on 16 without loss, will push them over the edge.

Mitchell, who top-scored with 83 in two minutes short of four hours, anchored the visitors after they had slumped to 138 for seven, with last weekend's heroes, Garth Roe and Alfonso Thomas, taking three wickets each.

That was despite 54 from captain Pieter Strydom, who had elected to bat after winning the toss, his third half-century in consecutive innings.

When Drakes came in, Border were still 12 runs shy of their first point, but the Barbadian dominated the stand with Mitchell with 53, ensuring the first two, before Love, who finished unbeaten on 21, helped Mitchell take Border past the next milestone of 250.

Burly opener Riaan Niewoudt started in typically aggressive fashion in the five overs the home side faced, hitting a six as he made 10 off as many balls before the close.

© MWP