Six Gun Grill Western Province, the Momentum Multiply Titans and Hollywoodbets Dolphins all ended day one of their Division One CSA 4-Day clashes on top of the Gbets Rocks, ITEC Knights and Dafabet Warriors respectively, while the DP World Lions and North West Dragons were finely placed in their encounter.
ELGAR CENTURY, KLAASEN PUT TITANS ON TOP
The Momentum Multiply Titans ended the first day of their Division One CSA 4-Day Series clash against the ITEC Knights in a strong position, on 328/7, despite the visitors producing a good final session fightback on Thursday.
Proteas test captain Dean Elgar struck a superb century, finally falling for 137 off 191 balls (24x4), caught and bowled by Nealan van Heerden to end a 135-run fourth wicket stand with Heinrich Klaasen, as his wicket sparked a mini collapse with it the first of four to fall in the final session.
Klaasen, however, stood firm, ending the day unbeaten on 87 off 95 balls (15x4), and he will start day two with Simon Harmer (9no) as they try to take the Titans to a big first-innings score.
After tea it was the Van Heerden show, as he took all four wickets to fall, following up Elgar’s dismissal with the scalps of Jiveshan Pillay (4), Dayyaan Galiem (8) and Aya Gqamane (1), to end the day with figures of 4-57, while Migael Pretorius had done the early day work with figures of 3-65.
Earlier in the day, the Titans had reached tea in a powerful position on 278/3, after just one wicket had fallen in the post lunch session.
Theunis de Bruyn (25) was the only wicket to fall in the session, when he was caught by Van Heerden off the bowling of Pretorius, with the Titans on 157/3 at that stage, before Elgar and Klaasen took control.
In the morning session the Knights won the toss and elected to bowl, and made an early breakthrough when Pretorius had Neil Brand (5) caught behind by keeper Gihahn Cloete, with the Titans on 21/1.
Elgar led the way, sharing in a second-wicket stand of 68 with Titans skipper Sibonelo Makhanya, 34 off 47 balls (4x4, 2x6), before Makhanya was undone by the same duo of Pretorius and Cloete, with them 89/2.
De Bruyn joined Elgar and they guided their side to the break without further trouble on 123/2 at lunch.
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Sibs Makhanya (capt), Dean Elgar, Neil Brand, Theunis de Bruyn, Jiveshen Pillay, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Dayyaan Galiem, Aya Gqamane, Simon Harmer, Lizaad Williams, Junior Dala
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
LIONS, DRAGONS EVENLY PLACED IN POTCH
The DP World Lions and North West Dragons were evenly placed, with the Lions on 224/5 at the close of play on day one of their Division One CSA 4-Day Series match at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Thursday.
Wiaan Mulder (30no) and Bjorn Fortuin (13no) managed to negotiate a tricky, shortened final session when bad weather ended the day.
Mulder and Fortuin had resumed after tea with the Lions on 189/5, before extending their sixth-wicket partnership to 38 runs, and they will hope to kick on during the morning session on day two.
Earlier in the day it was a good post-lunch session for the Dragons, who picked up four wickets after the Lions had done well to reach the break on 106/1.
Captain Dominic Hendricks had made his way to 89 off 161 balls (10x4), but fell just short of what would have been a well-deserved century.
Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen (45) had resumed after lunch and extended their second-wicket stand to 94 runs, when Van Der Dussen was caught by Nicholas van den Bergh off the bowling of Renaldo Meyer, leaving the Lions on 133/2.
Ryan Rickleton (15) and Mitchell van Buuren (14) then both got starts, but regular wickets saw Senuran Muthusamy pick up the scalps of Rickleton and Van Buuren, either side of Hendricks falling to Delano Potgieter, leaving the Lions in a tricky position at tea.
In the morning session Hendricks led from the front, along with Proteas star Van Der Dussen in his first match back from injury.
Hendricks and namesake Reeza Hendricks (16), kicked the innings off with a 39-run opening stand, before Reeza was caught by Lesego Senokwane off the bowling of Kerwin Mungroo.
That was the only a blip for the visitors in the session as Hendricks and Van Der Dussen then combined for an unbeaten 67-run stand to take their side safely to lunch.
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
DP WORLD LIONS:Dominic Hendricks (capt), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, Bjorn Fortuin, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Sisanda Magala, Duanne Olivier, Malusi Siboto, Mitchell Van Buuren
DE ZORZI, VERREYNNE HELP PROVINCE DOMINATE ROCKS
Six Gun Grill Western Province dominated the first day of their Division One CSA 4-Day Series match against the Gbets Rocks at Six Gun Grill Newlands on Thursday, reaching the close of play on 430/5 after winning the toss and batting first.
Opener Tony de Zorzi struck a wonderful century, finally being dismissed in the day's final session for 163 off 241 deliveries (25x4), while he was brilliantly backed up Kyle Verreynne who ended the day unbeaten on 144 off 161 balls (16x4, 6x6).
De Zorzi and Verreynne shared in an impressive 184-run stand for the fourth wicket, and had resumed after tea with Province on 255/3, moving the score to 367 before De Zorzi was caught by keeper Clyde Fortuin off the bowling of Hardus Viljoen.
Aviwe Mgijima (25) and Verreynne then shared in a 62-run stand, before Mgijima edged behind to Fortuin off the bowling of Khwezi Gumede just before the close of play, leaving George Linde who is yet to score at the crease with Verreynne.
Earlier in the day De Zorzi and Mohammad Vallie (21) kicked off the post lunch session with a 45-run second wicket stand, before Vallie was caught by Shaun von Berg off the bowling of Gumede.
Daniel Smith was out for a first-ball duck, caught by Janneman Malan off the bowling of Von Berg, with Province on 183/3, before De Zorzi and Verreynne combined for a 72-run stand to take charge of the innings and get them through to tea in a very good position.
In the morning session openers De Zorzi, and Eddie Moore, 71 off 104 balls (9x4; 1x6), got their side off to the perfect start with a 137-run opening partnership, with both players bringing up well deserved half centuries along the way.
On the stroke of lunch, however, the Rocks made a vital breakthrough as Viljoen bowled Moore, to send the sides into the break, with Province on 137/1.
SIX GUN GRILL WESTERN PROVINCE: Tony de Zorzi, Edward Moore, Mohammad Valli, Aviwe Mgijima, Beuran Hendricks, Daniel Smith, George Linde, Kyle Verreynne (capt, wk), Nandre Burger, Tshepo Moreki, Dane Paterson
GBETS ROCKS :Ismaeel Gafieldien, Stiaan van Zyl, Janneman Malan, Michael Copeland, Clyde Fortuin, Hlomla Hanabe, Khwezi Gumede, Hardus Viljoen, Shaun von Berg, Imraan Manack, Achille Cloete
BOWLERS DOMINATE BUT DOLPHINS ON TOP OF WARRIORS
It was a day for the bowlers as 15 wickets fell, but the Hollywoodbets Dolphins still finished in the driver’s seat, ending the day on 151/5 in response to the Dafabet Warriors' 166 all out in their first innings, on day one of their Division One CSA 4-Day Series clash at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Thursday.
The Warriors had initially done well in the final session to pick up four wickets and reduce the Dolphins to 103/5, but Jason Smith (44no) and Andile Phehlukwayo (16no) combined to share in an unbeaten 48-run stand to take their team to the close in a strong position.
The post tea session saw the Dolphins resume on 31/1, and Marques Ackerman (48) watched as Sarel Erwee (11), Tshepang Dithole (4) and Khaya Zondo (15), were dismissed, before he fell, caught by Wihan Lubbe off the bowling of Mthiwekhaya Nabe.
Earlier in the day a strong all-round bowling effort from the Dolphins saw the Warriors all out for 166 with Ottneil Baartman, 3-21, and Eathan Bosch, 3-36, the key wicket takers, while Odirile Modimokoane, 2-7, and Daryn Dupavillon, 2-70, both contributed.
Erwee and Ackerman had then moved their side to 31/1 at tea after they lost Grant Roelofsen (9), caught by Matthew Breetzke off the bowling of Beyers Swanepoel.
In the post lunch session the Warriors continued to lose regular wickets as they tumbled to a poor first-innings total.
Diego Rosier (2) and Rudi Second (16) weren’t able to build the partnership their side needed to get to a decent total, as they fell to Baartman and Bosch respectively.
The score could have been even worse for the Warriors, but Swanepoel, 18 off 12 balls (4x4) and Glenton Stuurman, 37 off 42 (7x4) struck some lusty blows down the order to boost their total a bit.
In the morning session Warriors opener Jordan Hermann’s superb form continued as he struck a half century, but his team was still in early trouble as they reached lunch on 96/4.
Hermann will be disappointed to have been the last wicket to fall just before the break, caught by Dithole off the bowling of Baartman, after having scored 51 off 83 balls (6x4, 2x6), to back up his superb unbeaten 187 against the Rocks last week.
At the start of the innings, Hermann watched as his partners fell around him, with Lubbe (13) the first to fall as Bosch had him caught by Ackerman with the Warriors 21/1.
Lesiba Ngoepe (15) was then next to fall, becoming the first of Dithole’s three catches behind the stumps, after edging Baartman, with the Warriors slipping to 50/2.
That became 73/3 when Matthew Breetzke (10), edged a ball from Dupavillon, before Hermann then fell with the Warriors on 92/4, before Second and Rosier took them to lunch.
DAFABET WARRIORS: Rudi Second (capt), Diego Rosier, Matthew Breetzke, Lesiba Ngoepe, Jordan Hermann, Wihahn Lubbe, Beyers Swanepoel, Glenton Stuurman, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Ziyaad Abrahams
HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Sarel Erwee, Grant Roelofsen, Marques Ackerman (Captain), Tshepang Dithole, Khaya Zondo, Jason Smith, Andile Phehlukwayo, Eathan Bosch, Ottneil Baartman, Jon-Jon Smuts, Odirile Modimokoane, Thando Ntini, Daryn Dupavillon