TUSKERS IN CONTROL AFTER DAY 2
AET Tuskers captain Michael Erlank asked the Mpumalanga Rhinos to follow-on after the Tuskers' bowling attack lay waste to the Rhinos' batting line-up at the Pietermaritzburg Oval on Friday afternoon. Rhinos only managed 151 runs in their reply to Tuskers' first innings total of 441 for eight wickets, declared.
Rhinos trail Tuskers by 258 runs with 10 wickets remaining.
Malcolm Nofal and Dilivio Ridgaard added 32 runs to their overnight partnership before Ridgaard was trapped lbw by Thula Ngcobo. Ridgaard's replacement, allrounder Keith Dudgeon, had a short stay at the crease. The 26-year-old kept Nofal company for 2.2 overs and faced only four deliveries before he followed Ridgaard back to the dressing room. Like Ridgaard, he was also dismissed by Ngcobo.
Medium pacer Alindile Mhletywa scored a brisk 14-ball 13 runs before Kiernan Kenny, a product of the Western Province development system, dismissed him. For a moment, it looked like Nofal might run out of partners. It was medium pacer, Kurtlyn Mannikam, who helped him arrest the collapse. Nofal and Mannikam put together a 57-run ninth-wicket partnership before Michael Erlank declared the Tuskers innings closed.
Pacer Thula Ngcobo was Rhinos' best bowler. The left-arm seamer took three wickets for 80 runs in 20 overs. Ngcobo was also tied with Kiernan Kenny for the most extras conceded. The pair conceded 12 runs in extras each.
In their reply, Mpumalanga Rhinos stumbled through to 151. The Rhinos' opening pair of Tumi Koto and Blake Schraader chose to be circumspect early on. Their watchfulness allowed the Rhinos to register 50 runs on the board for no loss of wickets. However, shortly after the milestone, their fledgling partnership was broken by Alindile Mhletywa.
Schraader did not long after Koto's dismissal. Schraader, Rhinos' top scorer in their first innings with a 79-ball 34 runs, was back in the pavilion after being bowled by Keith Dudgeon. Seven balls later, Keith Dudgeon was back at it again, this time dismissing Yassar Cook for a first-ball duck.
25-year-old wicketkeeper Rubin Hermann had barely got his eye in before he was dismissed by Stefan Tait. Moments later, Tait clean bowled Rhinos' No 3 batter Muhammed Mayet. The fall of Mayet's wicket was the beginning of the end of the Rhinos' first innings.
Benjamin van Niekerk and Alexander Kok attempted to rebuild the Rhinos’ innings. But, their effort only lasted for 10 overs and added 35 runs to the total. Their partnership was broken by Malcolm Nofal's dismissal of van Niekerk. A short while later, Kiernan Kenny fell to Mhletywa's pace for an eight-ball duck.
Six overs later, Alexander Kok was back in the pavilion for an uncomfortable 17 runs that came off 47 deliveries. Five deliveries later, Keith Dudgeon made it two wickets in one over when he accounted for Thula Ngcobo for a duck. Jon Hinrichsen, Rhinos' last man standing had no one to continue batting with because Rhinos' wrist-spinner Lizo Makhosi was unable to bat. He retired hurt.
Keith Dudgeon was Tuskers' most successful bowler with four wickets in 13 overs at an economy of 2.62 runs an over.
Michael Erlank asked Mpumalanga Rhinos to follow-on.
Openers Tumi Koto (13) and Blake Schraader (18) were at the crease at stumps.
CHRISTENSEN KEEPS BADGERS IN THE HUNT
Matthew Christensen stroked an unbeaten half-century to keep the Garden Route Badgers in the contest in their four-day match against Eastern Storm at Willowmoore Park on Friday afternoon. Badgers were 160 for six wickets at stumps in reply to Eastern Storm's first innings score of 291.
Garden Route Badgers trail Eastern Storm by 131 runs and still have five wickets in hand.
Former Proteas player Mangaliso Mosehle and centurion Shane Dadswell added 57 runs to the total before their partnership was broken. Mosehle's vigil was broken by allrounder Onke Nyaku after 40.3 overs.
Following Mosehle's dismissal, Dadswell and Divan Posthumus dug in to rebuild the South Western Districts' innings. Their effort yielded a promising 62-run partnership that was broken by Marcello Piedt's medium pacers.
Mekyle Pillay was the next batter in after the dismissal of Posthumus. The lower-order batter combined with Dadswell to mount a 34-run resistance against the Badgers’ bowling attack. Their partnership was broken by Sean Whitehead's left-arm spin. Two overs later, Whitehead showed Amaan Khan the road back to the dressing room for an eight-ball duck.
25-year-old Whitehead was on a roll, running circles around the Eastern Storm batters. A short while later, Whitehead accounted for Pillay's wicket. Four overs later, Whitehead closed Eastern Storm's innings by dismissing Tumelo Simelane for a 13-ball 12 runs.
Sean Whitehead was the Badgers’ best bowler. He took four wickets for 29 runs in 15.2 overs. Marcello Piedt had the second-best bowling figures with three wickets from 20 overs.
The Badgers’ innings did not start as well as they would have hoped for. Matthew Christensen lost his opening partner in the fourth over. In his brief stay at the crease, Blayde Capell faced 11 deliveries for his two runs. Jhedli van Briesies did not fare any better. The 21-year-old contributed six runs to his 29-run partnership with Christensen.
Christensen's 50-run third-wicket partnership with Andries Malan helped to arrest the Badgers’ top-order collapse for exactly 14 overs. Mekyle Pillay broke their partnership.
The next man in was Onke Nyaku. The 28-year-old allrounder added 22 runs to his 67-run partnership with Christensen before he was trapped lbw by Tumelo Simelane. Simelane made it two wickets in one over when he dismissed Hanno Kotze for a duck two balls later.
Play was stopped because of bad light. Christensen (80) and Sean Whitehead (7) were at the crease at stumps.
Tumelo Simelane was Eastern Storm's most successful bowler with two wickets from 12 overs at an economy of 1.75 runs an over. Amaan Khan also took two wickets, but at a slightly higher economy of 1.83 runs an over.
MAHLANGU, OAKES PUT HEAT IN THE DRIVING SEAT
Victor Mahlangu and Jason Oakes scored quickfire half-centuries that propelled Northern Cape Heat into a commanding position in their four-day match against Limpopo Impalas at The Oval in Kimberley on Friday afternoon. The Heat ended the day on 185 for three.
Heat has established a healthy 253-run lead over Impalas who only managed to score 170 runs all out in their first innings.
Thomas Hobson and Zakhele Qwabe only added 16 runs to their overnight partnership, most of which came off Hobson's bat. 34-year-old Qwabe was dismissed early on day two for a 36-ball four runs.
Hobson's partnership with the new man in, Nyiko Shikwambana did not last long. 24-year-old Shikwambana, who was playing in his first four-day match, faced 10 balls for his one run before Grant Thomson took him out of his misery. Exactly six balls later, Sizwe Masondo was back in the pavilion for a five-ball duck.
Former Gauteng Under-19 player, Ntoko Mahlaba stuck around with Hobson for 26 overs before he was dismissed by Tshepo Ntuli for a valiant 29 runs off 77 deliveries. After Mahlaba's dismissal, Ntuli made light work of Sithembile Langa and Maphekgola Pootona. Ntuli dismissed both tailenders in the same over as Mahlaba, to make it three wickets in five deliveries.
Tshepo Ntuli was Heat's most successful bowler. The 26-year-old recorded his best First Class figures with six wickets for 39 runs in 17 overs. Ntuli's previous best numbers were six wickets for 45 runs. This five-wicket haul is Ntuli's fourth in his first class career.
Victor Mahlangu and Ernest Kemm gave Northern Cape a better start to their innings compared to the first innings. In the first innings, the opening pair only managed a 25-run partnership. This time around, Mahlangu and Kemm put together a 63-run opening stand before Limpopo made inroads through Zakhele Qwabe. Qwabe trapped Mahlangu lbw in the 18th over.
Jason Oaks looked fluent as he raced to an impressive 61 runs that came off 68 deliveries. Oakes' marauding innings was brought to a stop by Ruan Haasbroek. Ruan, an offspinner, trapped Oakes lbw in the 38th over to break his 102-run partnership with Kemm.
Kemm, who had been playing the role of being a foil to Mahlangu and Oakes' attacking cricket was unlucky to fall five runs short of his 18th half-century eight balls after Oakes' dismissal.
At stumps, Rivaldo Moonsamy (13) was in the company of allrounder Grant Thomson (1).
Thomas Hobson was Limpopo Impalas' best bowler with one wicket from nine overs and an economy of 2.67 runs an over. Ruan Haasbroek and Zakhele Qwabe also took one wicket, but at a higher economy rate of three and 8.6 runs an over respectively.