Moonsamy dominates Iinyathi, Kok and Kenny star with bat and ball

Rivaldo Moonsamy stroked 24 boundaries on his way to an impressive unbeaten 138 runs, as he led Northern Cape Heat to an impressive score of 242 for the loss of three wickets at stumps on day one of their CSA 4-Day Challenge match against Eastern Cape Iinyathi at the Diamond Oval, Kimberley, on Thursday.

Moonsamy's century is his second first class century in two consecutive innings. Last week, the 26-year-old scored a career-best 154 runs to lead his side to victory.

Earlier in the day, Eastern Cape Iinyathi won the toss and elected to field first.

Play at the Diamond Oval was stopped due to rain after Iinyathi's experienced opening bowler, 38-year-old Phaphama Fojela, had bowled five balls in his first over. About 30 minutes after the rain delay, play resumed.

Northern Cape Heat's opener Victor Mahlangu was dismissed almost two overs after the resumption of play. The 32-year-old was unable to settle into his game and was dismissed by Sinovuyo Ntuntwana for four from 11 balls.

Things did not get better for the hosts as Ernest Kemm and Jason Oakes' attempt to rebuild contributed only 15 runs from seven overs and four balls.

Their budding partnership was broken by Joshua Dodd when the 26-year-old dismissed Oakes for four runs.

Kemm and his new partner, wicketkeeper Rivaldo Moonsamy, saw Heat past the 100 mark. Moonsamy recorded his 15th first class half-century in the process.

Moonsamy continued his excellent form from the previous week where he scored a sensational century. As with last week, Moonsamy scored briskly and was going at a strike rate of over 84.

Ernest Kemm, with his strike rate of just under 40, was the perfect foil to Moonsamy's swashbuckling innings. The Northern Cape Heat captain faced 132 balls to bring up his 18th first class half-century.

With Kemm anchoring the innings, Moonsamy galloped to his seventh first class century, his second century in successive innings.

Last week, Moonsamy scored his career-best century at a high strike rate. The 26-year-old continued with his high-tempo scoring and scored his century at a run-a-ball, 101 runs from 101 balls. It featured 20 fours.

Moonsamy and Kemm's brilliant 171-run partnership was eventually broken by Nonelela Yikha in the 51st over when the 21-year-old offspinner was introduced into the attack. Kemm had scored a patient 56 from 155.

Moonsamy and his new partner, Grant Thomson, saw Northern Cape Heat to the tea break. The teams had to leave the field almost immediately after coming back from the tea break when rain put a stop to proceedings. Play was eventually abandoned for the day due to bad light.

Sinovuyo Ntuntwana was Eastern Cape Iinyathi's best bowler of the day. The 29-year-old took one wicket from the four overs he bowled, at an economy of four runs an over.

Joshua Dodd and Nonelela Yikha also took a wicket each, but at slightly higher economy rates of 5.22 and 5.25 runs an over respectively.

LIMPOPO IMPALAS V MPUMALANGA RHINOS

Alexander Kok and Kieran Kenny starred with bat and ball for Mpumalanga Rhinos on day one of their CSA 4-Day Challenge encounter against Mpumalanga Rhinos at Polokwane Cricket Club, Polokwane, on Thursday.

Kok's half-century helped the Rhinos put up a first innings score of 230 all out, while Kenny's four-wicket haul helped restrict the Impalas to 87 for five at stumps.

Limpopo Impalas trail Mpumalanga Rhinos by 143 runs with five wickets in hand.

Earlier in the day, Impalas won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Mpumalanga Rhinos found themselves in trouble early into their first innings, thanks to some good bowling from Impalas pacer Zakhele Qwabe.

The experienced 34-year-old gave Impalas an early breakthrough when he dismissed Tumi Koto in the second over. Koto, who faced the bulk of the deliveries in the first two overs, was dismissed for an 11-ball two runs.

The former Cape Cobras man struck again for the hosts five runs and 21 balls later when he dismissed Blake Schraader for six from 16.

Qwabe bagged his third wicket halfway into his fifth over when he dismissed the Rhinos captain Yassar Cook. Cook, who was unable to replicate his first innings heroics from last week, was dismissed for only three runs.

Muhammed Mayet was going well, with six boundaries and no sixes, as he compiled a steady 31 runs from 49 deliveries when he was dismissed by Maphekgola Pootona in the 19th over. Mayet's fledgling partnership with Rubin Hermann was worth 20 runs.

Hermann joined hands with Benjamin van Niekerk to see the Rhinos through to lunch. The pair added 37 runs to the total before their partnership was broken by Thomas Hobson shortly after lunch when the 28-year-old pacer dismissed Van Niekerk for a patient seven runs from 32 at the end of the 30th over.

Hobson was at it again when he came back to bowl the 32nd over. The pacer dismissed Martin Dlamini before he could inflict further damage. Dlamini had scored six runs from three balls.

Despite losing partners in quick succession, wicketkeeper Rubin Hermann marched to his fifth first class half-century and kept the Rhinos' innings on track.

However, unfortunately for Rhinos, Hermann's 112-ball knock was brought to a close by Ruan Haasbroek after 42.5 overs. Hermann was dismissed for a well-played 65 that featured 11 fours.

Alexander Kok looked like he was not going to make it to his maiden first class half-century after he lost two partners while he was in his 40s. First, he lost his eighth-wicket partner Keiran Kenny when he was on 43. Then he lost Jon Hinrichsen when he was on 46.

Fortunately for Kok, Mkhatu Akhulile stuck around for him to bring up his maiden first class half-century. It came at almost a run-a-ball. Kok was going at a strike rate of 84.13.

Kok and Akhulile's partnership saw the Rhinos past the 200-run mark. The pair helped the visitors reach a total of 230 all out. The last wicket to fall was that of Kok, who was run out by Sithembile Langa after top-scoring for Rhinos with 77 runs from 76 deliveries.

Zakhele Qwabe was Limpopo Impalas' best bowler of the innings. The 34-year-old took his sixth five-wicket haul with his five wickets from 16 overs. Thomas Hobson was the next best bowler with two wickets from his 10 overs.

DECENT START

Limpopo Impalas' opening pair of Liam Peters and Ludwig Kaestner gave the hosts a decent start to their first innings. The duo's first-wicket partnership stood for 9.3 overs and 48 runs.

It broke down when Kaestner was dismissed by Kieran Kenny for 26 runs from 29 balls. One wicket turned into two when Kenny made it two wickets in two deliveries as he dismissed Nyiko Shikwambana for a first-ball duck.

Things went from bad to worse for the Impalas when Kenny bagged his third wicket of the innings. Shikwambana's replacement at the crease, Ruan Haasbroek, did not last long and soon found himself retracing Shikwambana's footsteps back to the dressing room.

Haasbroek was in the middle for exactly two overs, a period during which he faced 10 deliveries for his single run.

Kenny was back at it 12 balls later when he accounted for Thomas Hobson's wicket. Hobson had to depart from the crease after scoring only two runs from six deliveries. After 14 overs, the Limpopo Impalas were struggling on 58 for the loss of four wickets.

Liam Peters, who spent most of the afternoon watching wickets tumbling at the other end, had to also make his way back to the pavilion after surviving for 17.5 overs.

The opener's 49-ball vigil, which yielded 24 runs, was brought to an end when the 25-year-old was trapped lbw by Mkhatu Akhulile.

Kieran Kenny was Mpumalanga Rhinos' most successful bowler with four wickets from eight overs. Kenny conceded 33 runs. Mkhatu Akhulile was the only other wicket-taker in the Rhinos' bowling attack. Akhulile took one wicket from his five overs.