Veteran all rounder Dave Callaghan stopped Eastern Province's mini-slump in form by leading them to an emphatic 67 run victory over Griquas in the Standard Bank Cup on Friday night.

The victory put EP back on top of the Standard Bank log, on the verge of qualifying for the semi finals and returned them to winning ways after five straight victories had been followed by two losses.

Callaghan top scored for the home side with 75 in their imposing total of 249-7 and Griquas could do no more than muster 182 all out in reply, a score boosted by some lusty hitting late in the order when the match was over as a contest.

Justin Kemp celebrated his recent call-up to the national one-day squad with a quickfire 26 from 19 balls, with four boundaries and a six, at the beginning of the EP innings and laid the platform for an impressive start which realised 81-2 in thye first 15 overs.

Thereafter Callaghan and James Bryant took over with a third wicket stand of 86 in 19 overs as the innings, and the match, slipped slowly but surely beyond Griquas grasp.

Callaghan's 75 came from only 86 deliveries and contained four boundaries and a brace of sixes while Bryant's 69 was a touch slower, coming from 91 balls but containing an impressive 11 boundaries as he unerringly cashed in on the poor deliveries that came his way.

Perhaps Griquas should have known it wasn't going to be their evening when another verteran, swing bowler Meyrick Pringle, shattered Pieter Koortzen's stumps with the first ball of the visitors' reply.

Skipper Martin Gidley (27) and Grant Elliott (31) led a recovery of sorts with a second wicket stand of 54 but Bryant held a stinging catch, at cover, off the bowling of Kemp to remove Elliott and left arm spinner Robin Petersen struck twice in his first two overs to reduce Griquas to 74-4, a nadir from which they never recovered.

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