All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

272 429 for the third wicket against Bangladesh. Ominously for Warriors they were still there at the close with the score 177. However Olivier struck two important blows in the first over next day, Rudolph going to the fourth ball followed two balls later by wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk. As van Wyk had made 200 not out against Warriors the previous year his team were probably happy with their morning’s work so far. And Olivier continued to take wickets regularly in a spell of six wickets in eight overs that left Eagles 224 for eight and Warriors with some hope of restricting their opponents to a first innings lead of not much more than 100. But Dippenaar was still there and he found a resolute partner in Jandre Coetzee. Olivier had had to be rested, and with an all-ten a possibility he was honest enough to admit afterwards that during their 73-run ninth wicket partnership he had been hoping that none of the other bowlers would strike while he was waiting to be brought back. When a refreshed Olivier eventually returned he soon ended the Eagles’ captain’s innings after four and a quarter hours’ resistance. Olivier had one ball of the over left. The incoming batsman, Victor Mpitsang, would eventually play 103 first-class matches and take a creditable 245 wickets. However, with 417 runs and a highest score of 23, batting was obviously not his strong suit. Mpitsang survived the last ball, but an over later Olivier had another chance and he soon got his man, caught behind by wicketkeeper Davey Jacobs. Olivier had given the umpires plenty of work: he was the first bowler taking an all-ten to dismiss five of his victims leg-before. He was obviously well pleased with his performance. Interviewed afterwards for television he said, ‘I am in the clouds. I have just been looking at the scorecard and it is unbelievable. Everything came together today. I had good rhythm and the ball was moving a bit. I couldn’t find good rhythm at the beginning of the season but I have been working hard in the nets and today it paid off.’ Thanks to 78 from Arno Jacobs (who had played a few matches for Leicestershire the previous summer) and useful knocks from the lower order, Warriors knocked off their first innings deficit, just. Olivier was the last wicket to fall, caught behind by Adrian McLaren who was playing as a full substitute for van Wyk who had been called up for international duty. It had been a good game for seam bowlers. Spinners on the other hand only bowled 14 overs, and didn’t take any wickets. When the two sides met the following month in the return match Warriors put up a much better show. Olivier again shone, but this time with the bat. After Warriors had batted first he had struck early when Eagles went in, but this was his only wicket in the match as the other bowlers shared the spoils. Going in for a second time Warriors were soon in trouble. De Bruyn followed a first-innings century with a duck and when Olivier went in at 120 for seven the lead was only 154. Olivier had only made 39 runs in his previous nine innings but with 51 (his only career fifty) in an hour and a half he ensured that Warriors had something to bowl at next day. Unfortunately bad weather prevented what might have been an interesting finish. Mario Olivier