Date-stamped : 03 Apr96 - 10:18 Benson & Hedges 1995/96: Final Transvaal v Free State The Wanderers, Johannesburg 29 March 1996 ====> (REPORT) Demoralised Transvaal Bow Out Johannesburg - At the end of a summer during which convention in one-day cricket has been turned largely on its head, Free State`s willingness to innovate further carried them towards certain vic- tory over Transvaal in the last of the Benson and Hedges Series finals at Wanderers. In a bold gamble, Free State employed not one, but two pinch- hitters at the top of their innings, of whom the second, Brad Player, played the innings of a lifetime to demoralise Transvaal and lay the foundations for victory.Viewed as a journeyman sea- mer, Player was sent in at three at the fall of Franklyn Stephenson`s wicket wit Free State on 7/1 and he responded to the challenge in an extraordinary fashion. Never before at this level has Player hit quite so savagely, and neither is he likely to ever again, but his 83 off just 50 deliveries took Free State so far out in front that they were never seriously threatened thereafter. They eventually totalled 290/6, a record for a 45-over final and just one run short of the highest score recorded in all finals - the 291/8 they made against Eastern Province at Springbok Park last year. In reply Transvaal lost the key wickets of Richard Snell, Adam Bacher and Ken Rutherford in the first 15 overs of their innings as they struggled to 55/3 - by contrast, Free State had been 121/1 at the same stage - and matters scarcely improved thereafter. With nine overs remaining, the last rites were al- ready being read for Transvaal who were 144/8. Between the fifth ans 15th overs of the Free State innings Player and Jordaan added exactly 100 runs as Transvaal`s pre-match plan- ning was scattered to all corners of the Wanderers. Whatever Transvaal captain Ken Rutherford tried and whoever he brought into the attack was simply hit higher and harder. Richard Snell was tried for two overs and conceded 25; Clive Eks- teen was hammered for 15 of his first over; Stefan Jacobs went for 30 off his first four overs as Player used the middle, and sometimes the edge, of his bat to devastating effect. Of the 50 balls he faced, 11 went for four and four more for six and he succeeded, remarkably, in reducing the full house at Wanderers to near silence. He was eventually bowled by Dean Laing, trying to cut a full length ball on off stump, in the 18th over, with Free State hav- ing charged to 132, but by then he had more than accomplished his task and all the visitors had to do was simply to play sensibly Contributed by Tony.Haseett (HASETT@scientia.up.ac.za)