Lions in control as other clashes hang in the balance

The Imperial Lions eased their way to 55 for one at the close of play on day one of their CSA 4-day match against the ITEC Knights at New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday, trailing the visitors first-innings score by just 69 runs.

Earlier Lions fast bowler Duanne Olivier had torn through Knights middle- and lower-order to help bowl them all out for 124 at tea, with the Lions then negotiating the final session without too much trouble before bad light brought an early end to proceedings.

Openers Joshua Richards (33 not out) and Dominic Hendricks (5) had looked to navigate the tricky late conditions safely, only for Hendricks to be caught by Keith Dudgeon off the bowling of Patrick Kruger with the score 36 for one.

Karabo Mogotsi (three not out) helped Richards take their side to the close.

In the post lunch session Olivier delivered top figures of 5-53 in 12.5 overs, claiming five of the last six wickets to fall, and was backed up well by Malusi Siboto, 3-28, who had started the slide by picking up the first three wickets.

The Knights had resumed their innings on 68 for two after lunch with Jacques Snyman (46) at the crease and looking in good nick, however he was bowled by Siboto without adding to the score.

Pite van Biljon (8) and Farhaan Behardien (9) added 18 to the total before Wiaan Mulder had Van Biljon caught by Mogotsi and Behardien was bowled by Olivier as they slipped to 86 for five.

The Knights never recovered as Olivier chipped away with regular wickets to skittle them cheaply.

In the morning session play was delayed due to bad light before the Knights got their innings under way reaching 68 for two at lunch.

The visitors lost opener Matthew Kleinveldt (7) in just the second over of the innings, caught behind by keeper Ruan Haasbroek off the bowling of Siboto with the score 11 for one.

They looked to be making good progress with opener Snyman in particularly good touch as he stroked his way to an unbeaten 46 off 44 balls, hitting 10 boundaries in the process.

He shared in a positive 56-run second-wicket partnership with Wandile Makwetu (12) but on the stroke of lunch Makwetu was trapped LBW by Siboto to peg them back.

IMPERIAL LIONS: Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks, Karabo Mogotsi, Kagiso Rapulana, Wiaan Mulder, Mitchell Van Buuren, Bjorn Fortuin, Ruan Haasbroek (wk), Malusi Siboto (c), Duanne Olivier, Codi Yusuf

ITEC KNIGHTS: Matthew Kleinveldt, Jacques Snyman (wk), Wandile Makwetu, Pite van Biljon, Farhaan Behardien, Patrick Kruger, Mangaliso Mosehle, Gerald Coetzee, Alfred Mothoa, Nealan van Heerden, Keith Dudgeon

WARRIORS AND WESTERN PROVINCE EVENLY PLACED

A Matthew Breetzke century helped the Gbets Warriors to a decent 285 for six at the close of play against Six Gun Grill Western Province at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.

Breetzke batted superbly to score 100 off 202 balls, hitting 13 fours and one six, but was out just short of the tea break as the only wicket to fall in that session.

The Warriors thus picked up on 191 for three with Rudi Second (76) and Diego Rosier (5) at the crease, with Rosier not lasting long before he was caught by Ziyaad Abrahams off Kieran Kenny with the score 206 for four.

Kyle Jacobs (17 not out) shared in a 45-run partnership with Second who was removed by Gavin Kaplan, before sharing in a 24-run stand with Tristan Stubbs (24) who scored all of the runs during the 15.1-over partnership, with Stubbs out LBW to Kyle Simmonds, with the score on 275 for six.

Tiaan van Vuuren (9) accompanied Jacobs to the close and they will look to pick things back up on day two.

Earlier in the day the Warriors were made to rue another late lapse after they lost a wicket on the stroke of lunch, which saw Breetzke resume after the break on 53 along with Second.

They set about a solid 87-run third-wicket stand, almost getting to tea only for Breetzke to be caught behind by keeper Daniel Smith off the bowling of Basheer Walters just after he brought up his three figures.

In the morning session openers Wihan Lubbe (14) and Breetzke got the team off to a steady start with a 32-run opening stand before Lubbe was caught by David Bedingham off the bowling of Abrahams.

Lesiba Ngoepe (33) joined Breetzke and they set about a positive 71-run second-wicket partnership, only for Ngoepe to get caught by keeper Smith off the bowling of Simmonds to set the Warriors back on 103 for two at lunch.

GBETS WARRIORS: Wihan Lubbe, Matthew Breetzke, Lesiba Ngoepe, Rudi Second, Diego Rosier, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Jacobs, Tiaan van Vuuren, Alindile Mhletywa, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Mthiwekhaya Nabe

SIX GUN GRILL WESTERN PROVINCE: Gavin Kaplan, Daniel Smith (wk), Yaseen Vallie (c), Aviwe Mgijima, David Bedingham, Bonga Makaka, Kyle Simmonds, Kieran Kenny, Basheeru-Deen Walters, Ziyaad Abrahams, Liyema Waqu

TITANS ALL OUT AT CLOSE AGAINST ROCKS

The Momentum Multiply Titans battled back from a mid-innings wobble to reach a decent 308 all out on the stroke of the close of play against the Gbets Rocks at Boland Park in Paarl.

The Titans found themselves in a bit of trouble on 161 for six at a stage, but a century from Neil Brand, 111 off 230 balls (7x4) and two solid lower-order stands allowed them to reach a target their bowlers will hope to defend.

Brand resumed his side's innings along with Chris Morris (36) after tea with them on 185 for six and they extended their seventh-wicket stand to 73 runs before Morris was caught off the bowling of Siyabonga Mahima.

Two more quick wickets saw Brand and Aya Gqamane (1) depart, with the Titans on 249 for nine, only for Corbin Bosch (46 not out) and Simon Harmer (18) to combine for a 59-run last-wicket partnership, before Harmer popped a return catch to Mahima to end the innings and the day's play.

In the post lunch session the Titans resumed their innings on 87 for two, with Brand and Gihahn Cloete (56) extending their third-wicket partnership to 108 before Cloete was caught off the bowling of Hardus Viljoen with them on 117 for three.

Sibonelo Makhanya (17) added 36 with Brand before three quick wickets fell for eight runs, with Zakhele Qwabe accounting for all of them to put the Titans in a spot of bother, with Brand and Morris taking them to tea.

In the morning the Titans innings got off to a poor start as openers Grant Mokoena (4) and Dean Elgar (5) both found themselves back in the dugout by the start of the third over with them in trouble on nine for two.

Mokoena was trapped LBW by Qwabe and Elgar was caught by Christiaan Jonker off the bowling of Viljoen to leave their side in early trouble.

However Brand and Cloete then combined to take their side to safely to lunch.

GBETS ROCKS: Clyde Fortuin (wk), Isma-eel Gafieldien, Christiaan Jonker (c), Cebo Tshiki, Ferisco Adams, Stiaan van Zyl, Shaun von Berg, Hardus Viljoen, Zakhele Qwabe, Siyabonga Mahima, Sinalo Gobeni

MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Grant Mokoena, Dean Elgar, Neil Brand (c), Gihahn Cloete (wk), Sibonelo Makhanya, Jiveshan Pillay, Dayyaan Galiem, Chris Morris, Corbin Bosch, Ayabulela Gqamane, Simon Harmer

FINAL SESSION WASHED OUT IN POTCHEFSTROOM

The entire final session on day one of the clash between the Hollwoodbets Dolphins and North West Dragons at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom was washed out, leaving the visitors on 213 for three at the close of play.

This after Marques Ackerman had helped the Dolphins take control of the match and was on the verge of a century having reached tea unbeaten on 98.

It was an unblemished post lunch session for the Dolphins as they resumed on 112 for three, with Ackerman and Bryce Parsons (33 not out) playing confidently in an unbeaten 101-run partnership to put their side in a strong position, which they will hope to pick up from on the second morning.

In the morning Dragons allrounder Delano Potgieter made sure that the Dolphins stayed in check by lunch, picking up all three wickets to fall in the session.

He removed both openers Thamsanqa Khumalo (4) and Junaid Syed (14) to catches as the Dolphins slipped to 26 for two early in their innings.

Keegan Petersen (53) and Ackerman combined for a solid 86-run third wicket stand and just when it looked like the Dolphins were taking control, Potgieter struck on the stroke of lunch trapping Petersen LBW to check their charge.

NORTH WEST DRAGONS: Lesego Senokwane, Wesley Marshall, Christopher Britz, Shaylen Pillay, Delano Potgieter, Nono Pongolo (c), Taheer Isaacs (wk), Duan Jansen, Eldred Hawken, Johannes Diseko, Jesse Albanie

HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Marques Ackerman (c), Prenelan Subrayen, Keegan Petersen, Thamsanqa Khumalo, Junaid Syed, Robin Smith, Kerwin Mungroo, Ruan De Swardt, Hlompo Modimokoane, Eathan Bosch, Bryce Parsons