Aggressive half-centuries from Kyle Verreynne and Mihlali Mpongwana helped Six Gun Grill Western Province to 328 all out in 84.1 overs on the first day of their Division One CSA 4-Day Series match against the current holders, the Momentum Multiply Titans, at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.
And that total looked increasingly useful after Province finished the day with a flourish when paceman Beuran Hendricks prised out the always valuable scalp of Proteas’ test captain Dean Elgar for an eight-ball duck, caught behind by Verreynne, as well as the wicket of Titans’ captain, Sibs Makhanya, also for a duck.
The holders therefore finished the day on the back foot on one run for two wickets, still 327 runs behind their opponents.
Earlier, Province were put in to bat by the Titans and began poorly with Tony de Zorzi run out off the second ball of the innings by Makhanya, the first of two runouts – the second being George Linde – that he engineered.
But then useful contributions from Edward Moore (36), Mohammad Valli (26) and an unbroken partnership of 44 from Daniel Smith and Verreynne took Province to 123 for three at lunch, a useful launchpad for a bigger total.
Half-century partnerships from Verreynne and Mpongwena and then between Mpongwena and Beuran Hendricks (26) helped Province to a more than useful total. Verreynne’s 87 came in 116 balls and included 12 fours and two sixes while Mpongwana’s 77 took 122 balls and was studded with nine fours and a six.
The most successful bowler for the Titans was Abdu Galiem with 3-63 in 15 overs while Aya Gqamane picked up 2-51.
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS:Neil Brand, Dean Elgar, Sibs Makhanya (capt), Theunis de Bruyn, Jiveshan Pillay, Musawenkosi Twala, Corbin Bosch, Abdu Galiem, Aya Gqamane, Simon Harmer, Junior Dala
SIX GUN GRILL WESTERN PROVINCE: 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
MALAN STRIKES HUNDRED TO BOOST ROCKS
Janneman Malan struck his 13th first-class hundred to take the Gbets Rocks to 332 all out in their Division One CSA 4-Day Series match against the Dafabets Warriors at Boland Park in Paarl on Thursday.
And the home team’s day got even better when Khwezi Gumede and Achille Cloete got rid of the Warriors’ top-order batsmen Wihan Lubbe (11) and Lesiba Ngoepe (0) before the close, leaving the visitors on 52 for two, a deficit of 280.
Opener Jordan Hermann was holding the fort, however, with a breezy unbeaten 32 in 38 balls that included seven fours.
Having won the toss and chosen to bat first, the Rocks were initially indebted to a flashing 91 in 93 balls, including 16 fours, from their elegant left-hander, Stiaan van Zyl, who helped create the platform that Malan later exploited.
This, in spite of a poor start when they suffered two early blows when openers Ismaeel Gafielden (1) and Ruan Terblanche (6) were dismissed by Akhona Mnyaka and Glenton Stuurman respectively.
Stuurman went on to capture 5-72 in 18 overs, his 15th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Van Zyl and Malan added 111 for the third wicket before Van Zyl, perhaps hoping for a ton before lunch, was bowled by Wihan Lubbe.
Malan received some useful assistance from the lower order as he batted through the afternoon session, finally departing for 132 (207 balls, 14 fours) after being bowled by Stuurman.
GBETS ROCKS: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:Wihan Lubbe, Jordan Hermann, Lesiba Ngoepe, Matthew Breetzke, Rudi Second (capt), Diego Rosier, Beyers Swanepoel, Akhona Mnyaka, Glenton Stuurman, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Mthiwekhaya Nabe
MOKOENA IN CHARGE BEFORE RAIN INTERVENES
Rain prevented any further play after the North West Dragons had reached 94 for one in 28 overs at lunch on the first day of their Division One CSA 4-Day Series match against the ITEC Knights at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Thursday.
The Knights won the toss and inserted the Dragons. Initially the decision bore fruit with Dragons’ opener Wesley Marshall dismissed first ball, caught by wicketkeeper Gihahn Cloete off the bowling of paceman Gerald Coetzee.
Thereafter, Grant Mokoena took charge of the innings to such an extent that he scored 78 of their total before the weather intervened.
His runs came in 78 balls and included 14 fours. It was the 39th first-class 50 for the 35-year-old.
Mokoena was assisted by a stubborn Shaylin Pillay who contributed just nine runs in 65 balls to their unbroken second-wicket partnership of 85.
NORTH WEST DRAGONS: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: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