The Dafabet Warriors powered their way to a brilliant seven-wicket win over the Gbets Rocks at the end of day three of their Division One CSA 4-Day Series match on Saturday afternoon.
The Momentum Multiply Titans and Western Province game was headed for a draw after being affected by the elements, while the ITEC Knights and North West Dragons saw a second consecutive day of play completely washed out.
HERMANN POWERS WARRIORS TO SUPERB WIN OVER ROCKS
Dafabet Warriors opener Jordan Hermann is making an early play for signing of the season, as he struck a sparkling unbeaten 187 to power his side to a superb come-from-behind seven wicket win over the Gbets Rocks in their Division One CSA 4-Day Series match in Paarl on Saturday afternoon.
In an action packed game that lasted just three days, the Rocks were in full control at the halfway stage as their first innings score of 332 all out was well ahead of the Warriors 161 all out in their first innings.
However a strong bowling performance led by Glenton Stuurman, 4-35, saw the Rocks all out for 198 in their second innings, with Khwezi Gumede (6) last man out, caught by Hermann off the bowling of Tsepo Ndwandwa on Saturday morning to give the Warriors a stiff target of 370 to win.
Hermann then took centre stage, bring up his second first class century and his highest score, with his 187 coming off 281 balls, featuring 23 fours and five sixes.
Their chase got off to the perfect start as he shared in a 193-run opening partnership with Wihan Lubbe, 78 off 167 balls (10x4; 2x6), before he became the first wicket to fall, caught behind by keeper Clyde Fortuin off the bowling of Hardus Viljoen in the post lunch session.
Hermann then brought up his century in the company of Lesiba Ngoepe (15) as the Warriors made their way to 214/1 at tea, with them needing 156 runs in the final session to claim the win.
Ngoepe was the caught by Janneman Malan off the bowling of Shaun von Berg and Matthew Breetzke (28) was caught by Stiaan van Zyl off the bowling of Achille Cloete, with the Warriors on 299/3 and the match looked like it would only be decided on the final day.
However, captain Rudi Second had other ideas, coming in and cracking a quick unbeaten 44-ball 50 (9x4) to help the Warriors cruise home for a famous win just before the close of play.
Gbets Rocks (starting XI): Ismaeel Gafieldien, Ruan Terblance, Stiaan van Zyl, Janneman Malan, Michael Copeland, Clyde Fortuin, Khwezi Gumede, Hardus Viljoen, Bamanye Xenxe, Shaun von Berg, Achille Cloete
Dafabet Warriors (starting XI): Rudi Second (capt), Diego Rosier, Matthew Breetzke, Lesiba Ngoepe, Jordan Hermann, Wihahn Lubbe, Beyers Swanepoel, Glenton Stuurman, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Akhona Mnyaka
Report Day 1BRAND STANDS FIRM AS ELEMENTS DISRUPT TITANS-WP
The elements continued to play a large part in the Division One CSA 4-Day Series match between the Momentum Multiply Titans and Six Gun Grill Western Province, as bad light brought a premature end to play on day three with the hosts on 140/6 in their first innings at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Opener Neil Brand continued to stand firm at the crease, unbeaten on 66 off 153 balls (11x4; 1x6), and will resume the final day on Sunday alongside Corbin Bosch (6no), with the most likely result looking to be a draw.
Brand had resumed the final session with the Titans on 104/5 alongside Musa Twala (31), with them extending their sixth wicket stand to 89-runs, before Tshepo Moreki had Twala caught behind by keeper Kyle Verreynne , to reduce the home side to 130/6.
Brand and Bosch then saw out the next few overs before light had the final say on the day.
During the post lunch session, Brand continued to watch batting partners fall by the wayside as Nandre Burger got in on the action, removing Theunis de Bruyn (13) trapped LBW and Jiveshan Pillay caught by Verreynne for an eight ball duck as the Titans crashed to 41/5.
Brand then finally received some support from Twala as they combined to take the Titans to tea on 104/5.
In the morning session the Titans only managed to add 21 runs to their overnight score of 19/2, when rain sent the teams to an early lunch with the hosts on 40/3, and Brand and de Bruyn unbeaten at the crease.
Earlier in the heavily rain affected match Province had been bowled out for 328 on the first day’s evening session, with Kyle Verreynne (87) and Mihlali Mpongwana (77) the main contributors, while Abdu Galiem, 3-63, was the Titans key wicket taker.
Beuran Hendricks, 3-29, then decimated the Titans top order, reducing them to 1/2 on Thursday evening with the dismissals of Dean Elgar and Bongumusa Makhanya for ducks, followed by nightwatchman Junior Dala for a duck on Friday morning with them 1/3 at that stage.
Momentum Multiply Titans (starting XI): Sibs Makhanya (capt), Dean Elgar, Neil Brand, Theunis de Bruyn, Jiveshen Pillay, Musa Twala (wk), Corbin Bosch, Dayyaan Galiem, Aya Gqamane, Simon Harmer, Junior Dala
Six Gun Grill Western Province (starting XI): Tony de Zorzi, Edward Moore, Mohammad Valli, Aviwe Mgijima, Beuran Hendricks, Daniel Smith, George Linde, Kyle Verreynne (capt, wk), Mihlali Mpongwana, Nandre Burger, Tshepo Moreki
KNIGHTS AND DRAGONS HURTLING TOWARDS DRAW
The ITEC Knights and North West Dragons' Division One CSA 4-Day Series match was hurtling towards a draw on Saturday after the third day of play was completely washed out without a ball being bowled at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.
It was a case of déjà vu after Friday’s entire day was also completely washed out, with the Dragons sitting on 94 for one in their first innings. Opener Thabang Mokoena was on 78 and Shaylin Pillay had nine runs.
The only play in the match so far was on the first morning on Thursday, and if any play is possible on Sunday’s final day, the match is all but guaranteed to end in a draw.
North West Dragons (starting XI): Thabang Mokoena, Wesley Marshall, Shaylin Pillay, Nicholas van den Bergh, Senuran Muthusamy, Christopher Britz, Khanya Cotani, Delano Potgieter, Duan Jansen, Renaldo Meyer, Kerwin Mungroo
ITEC Knights (squad): Pite van Biljon (capt), Gihahn Cloete (wk), Matthew Kleinveldt, Isaac Dikhale, Patrick Kruger, Patrick Botha, Aubrey Swanepoel, Gerald Coetzee, Nealan van Heerden, Nipho Mpungose, Mbulelo Budaza, Jacques Snyman, Mbongi Mhlanga