Jason Niemand was in spectacular form as he led Eastern Cape Iinyathi to a 10-wicket win over Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers in their CSA Four-Day Series match at Buffalo Park, East London, on Saturday.
The 24-year-old scored a new career-best first-class score of 168 as he led Eastern Cape Iinyathi to a first-innings score of 348 in reply to the Badgers' 165-run first-innings effort. Niemand's 282-ball innings featured 27 fours. Niemand had little support in the first innings. Nonelela Yikha (43) and Jade de Klerk (47) were the only batters who played innings worth mentioning in support of Niemand's knock.
In their second innings, the Badgers stumbled to 244, thanks to an outstanding bowling performance by Phaphama Fojela. The pacer recorded his career-best bowling figures in a match with 7-52 runs in 20 overs. After the Fojela-led dominant bowling performance on day three, Eastern Cape Iinyathi called upon Niemand (28*) and Joshua van Heerden (33*) to chase down the 61-run target set by the visitors. The openers did it at a canter. They needed only 10 overs to do so.
Earlier in the day, Phaphama Fojela was in outstanding form as he accounted for a dangerous-looking Blayde Capell (53). Capell was one of only three batters in the Badgers' lineup who looked comfortable at the crease. He top-scored in the second innings with a well-paced half-century. Jhedli van Briesies' 47 in the first innings and Jean du Plessis' 47 in the second were the only other notable individual scores from the Badgers.
Fojela ensured that the visitors did not get comfortable at the crease by taking three crucial wickets in the first session of play. First, he dismissed Blayde Capell. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper survived only long enough to reach his sixth first-class half-century before the 38-year-old seamer dismissed him. Capell faced seven balls in the first hour of play.
Ten overs after his dismissal of Capell, the 38-year-old pacer clean-bowled Onke Nyaku. Ten runs and 2.1 overs later, Fojela accounted for Andre Malan's wicket. At this point, the Badgers were still trailing Eastern Cape Iinyathi and things were looking dire for them. A lot was riding on Jean du Plessis and Sean Whitehead's sixth-wicket partnership.
Du Plessis and Whitehead strung together a 50-run partnership before the visitors found themselves six wickets down. Before long, they were seven down. Fortunately, at this point, they had a small lead over Eastern Cape Iinyathi.
Thomas Kaber's dismissal of Sean Whitehead signalled the beginning of a lower-order collapse for the Badgers. The collapse was at the hands of Phaphama Fojela, who swept the tail to leave the visitors on 244 all out.
Phaphama Fojela stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Eastern Cape Iinyathi bowlers. The 38-year-old pacer took 7-52 runs in 20 overs. These are also the pacer's new career-best bowling figures in an innings. Fojela also recorded his career-best first-class match bowling figures with 9-83 runs in 33 overs.
With the Badgers' batting lineup overpowered, Eastern Cape Iinyathi needed 61 runs to win. Jason Niemand and Joshua van Heerden did not break a sweat as they chased down the required runs.
Report Day 2SHEKLETON AND TAIT SHINE AS TUSKERS OVERPOWER IMPALAS
Cameron Shekleton scored an unbeaten century and Stefan Tait recorded his best bowling figures in a match as the AET Tuskers romped to victory over the Limpopo Impalas in their CSA Four-Day Series match at Polokwane Cricket Club.
The Tuskers overpowered the Impalas by an innings and 111 runs.
Shekleton stood tall as he stroked eight fours and a single six on his way to a brilliant 125 runs off 256 deliveries as he led the Tuskers to a commanding 483 in reply to the Impalas' 251. The 23-year-old was the picture of composure as he batted his way to his second first-class century. Shekleton was able to capitalise on the platform built by Yaseen Valli (73) and Thamsanqa Kumalo's (99) opening partnership. Valli and Kumalo shared a 189-run opening stand.
Shekleton was supported well by Malcolm Nofal (51) and Keith Dudgeon (38), with whom he shared great partnerships.
The Impalas' batting was desultory. In the first innings, only Morne Venter (76) passed the half-century mark. Ruan Haasbroek (46) fell four runs short of a seventh first-class half-century. The rest of the batting lineup failed to score 30 or more runs. In the second innings, Morne Venter (31) top-scored again, and the rest of the batting lineup just failed to get going, in large part thanks to Stefan Tait's bowling.
The 26-year-old left-arm seamer recorded his career-best bowling figures by recording his first 10-wicket haul in a match. In the first innings, Tait recorded new best bowling figures in an innings by taking 5-49 runs in 17 overs. In the second innings, he outdid that with new best bowling figures in an innings of five wickets for 41 runs in 14 overs. His best bowling figures in a match now read 10-90.
On the morning of day three, Malcolm Nofal began on a watchful note. The 31-year-old Nofal, who faced 55 deliveries for 29 runs on day two, faced a further 46 balls for the 31 runs he needed to bring up his fourth first-class half-century. Nofal's innings ended a short while after he reached the milestone. The experienced campaigner had contributed 51 runs to his 88-run sixth-wicket partnership with Cameron Shekleton.
Shekleton was as watchful as Nofal. The 23-year-old wicketkeeper faced 68 deliveries to get the 19 runs he needed to bring up his second first-class century. Shekleton reached the milestone with his seventh boundary, a well-played shot past the fielder at third man. And just as it happened with Nofal, Shekleton's seventh-wicket partnership with Andile Mogakane (20) was broken shortly after the milestone. Fortunately for the Tuskers, it was not the man in form who departed.
After Mogakane's dismissal, Ruan Haasbroek made light work of the Tuskers' tailenders. The offspinner restricted Dilvio Ridgaard, Alindile Mhletywa and Stefan Tait to contributing only 16 runs between them. Shekleton resolutely held up one end while wickets tumbled at the other. He remained unbeaten on 125.
Haasbroek was the pick of the bowlers for Limpopo Impalas. The 25-year-old bagged his maiden first-class five-wicket haul with figures of 5-105 runs in 48.3 overs.
Stefan Tait was breathing fire when the Impalas came out to bat in their second innings. After his first six overs, the 26-year-old had taken 2-15. His new ball partner, Keith Dudgeon supported him well by bowling tight lines. Dudgeon was rewarded for his disciplined bowling. After six overs, he had sent down three maiden overs and conceded 16 runs.
The Impalas' top order was behaving like deer caught in headlights. After 14.5 overs, Liam Peters (1), Thomas Hobson (3), Ludwig Kaestner (13) and Louren Steenkamp (4) were all back in the dressing room. At tea, the Impalas had been reduced to 49 for five and were still trailing the Tuskers by 183 runs.
To avoid losing by an innings, the Impalas needed Morne Venter and Sizwe Masondo to build a partnership of substance. Unfortunately, Venter and Masondo's sixth-wicket partnership stood only for long enough to add 41 runs to the total. With Venter gone, only Sizwe Masondo was the recognised batter left and the tail needed to play out of their socks to make a contest of the match.
The Impalas' tailenders did not bat out of their socks because Stefan Tait made sure none of them got comfortable. The former Warriors pacer laid waste to the tail with his pace just as he did with their top order. The left-armer was the Tuskers' best bowler with five wickets for 41 runs in 14 overs.
COULENTIANOS TON KEEPS EASTERN STORM IN THE CONTEST
Wesley Coulentianos scored a measured 128 runs to keep Eastern Storm in the contest in their CSA Four-Day Series match against Northern Cape Heat at the Diamond Oval, Kimberley.
Coulentianos' century, which featured 14 fours, helped the visitors reach 421 in reply to Northern Cape Heat's first-innings score of 458. Coulentianos was supported well by Kabelo Sekhukhune (53) and the duo of Danie Rossouw (73) and Mykyle Pillay (52) played handy knocks.
Northern Cape Heat was on 37 for no loss of wickets at stumps. They lead Eastern Storm by 74 runs with 10 wickets remaining. Victor Mahlangu (12*) had retired hurt, and Ernest Kemm (18*) was in the company of Jason Oakes (6*) at the crease.
On the morning of day three, Sekhukhune did not stick around for long enough to see his overnight partner reach his century. The 25-year-old former Warriors player only managed to face seven balls and score a single run. Coulentianos was in the company of a watchful Danie Rossouw when he brought up his 11th first-class century. It came off 200 balls.
Coulentianos' brilliant knock came to an end two balls after lunch. The left-hander was caught behind after he edged a Romano Terblanche delivery. With Coulentianos gone, the visitors were looking to Rossouw to hold firm and guide Eastern Storm as close to Northern Cape Heat's first innings score as possible. Rossouw looked like the man for the job, especially after he brought up his second first-class half-century.
Rossouw kept a steady head and was unhurried as he worked his way past his previous first-class high score of 54. Rossouw's patient 177-ball knock which yielded 73 runs came to a halt when he was caught by Ernest Kemm at mid-wicket while trying to pull a Kelly Smuts delivery.
Mykyle Pillay was Eastern Storm's third batter to cross the 50-run mark. The 23-year-old, playing in his fourth first-class match, faced 116 deliveries for his new first-class half-century and high score. When he was dismissed, Eastern Storm was still 64 runs behind the Tuskers.
Ernest Kemm made sure that Eastern Storm ended their first innings with a deficit by making light work of the tail. The Northern Cape Heat captain took wickets at regular intervals as he marched to a maiden first-class five-wicket haul. Kemm ended the innings with seven wickets for 112 runs in 41.1 overs.