LIONS IN CONTROL AT KINGSMEAD
A unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 78 between Bjorn Fortuin and Tshepo Moreki enabled the DP World Lions to build a first-innings lead of 113 at stumps on the third day of their CSA Four-Day Series match against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at Kingsmead on Saturday.
Fortuin, who played some elegant strokes, finished unbeaten on 77, his first half-century of the season and fifth overall, while Moreki has so far made 26, just nine runs off a career best.
Fortuin, in particular, made batting look easy on a docile pitch as the Lions ended the day on 358 for eight in 132 overs in reply to the Dolphins’ opening effort of 245 for nine declared.
The visitors batted with patience and good judgment throughout their innings and will know that although a draw is favourite, they are the only team capable of winning the match on Sunday’s final day when they will hope that the pitch begins to deteriorate.
Less than two sessions of play were possible on Saturday after steady overnight rain resulted in a wet outfield that only dried out by 1pm.
The umpires took the teams off for bad light with 17 overs remaining in the day.
Dolphins’ spinners Jon-Jon Smuts and Prenelan Subrayen took the second new ball almost immediately after the Lions had resumed on their overnight total of 217 for five in 78 overs.
Perhaps it was the considerable amount of rain that has fallen over the last week, but the pitch has not been as receptive to spin as the Dolphins would have hoped and it was paceman Okuhle Cele who made the breakthrough after 11 overs when he found the edge of Delano Potgieter’s bat for wicketkeeper Grant Roelofsen to take a nice diving catch to his left.
Shortly afterwards, Wandile Makwetu’s long and valuable vigil (his 65 took 185 balls and included eight fours) was ended by another pace bowler, Daryn Dupavillon, who made a spectacular mess of his stumps – uprooting two of them – to send him packing.
Makwetu had earlier played an important role in a fifth-wicket partnership of 102 on Friday with Zubayr Hamza (98).
Bowling hero Codi Yusuf (who took career-best figures of 6-49 in the Dolphins’ first innings) did not last long, falling to a catch in the covers by Andile Simelane off the bowling of Smuts.
Fortuin made batting look easy, striking seven fours in his 94-ball innings, while a stubborn Moreki has so far taken 120 balls to score a valuable 26.
The Dolphins rarely looked like taking wickets but Smuts has bowled with good discipline to claim 4-99 in a marathon 44 overs while paceman Dupavillon gave it his all, finishing with 1-45 in 21 overs.
DOLPHINS: Tshepang Dithole, Sarel Erwee (capt), Marques Ackerman, Grant Roelofsen (wk), Khaya Zondo, Jason Smith, Jon-Jon Smuts, Andile Simelane, Prenelan Subrayen, Daryl Dupavillon, Okuhle Cele
LIONS: Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Zubayr Hamza, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Graeme van Buuren, Wandile Makwetu, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Tshepo Moreki
NO PLAY IN PIETERMARITZBURG
AET TUSKERS: Michael Erlank (capt), Kyle Nipper, Dilivio Ridgaard (wk), Kagiso Rapulana, Malcolm Nofal, Tian Koekemoer, Alindile Mhletywa, Keith Dudgeon, Ben Compton, Thamsanqa Kumalo, Thando Ntini
GBETS ROCKS: Janneman Malan, Pieter Malan (capt), Stiaan van Zyl, Clyde Fortuin (wk), Aviwe Mgijima, Keegan Petersen, Shaun von Berg, Hardus Viljoen, Siyabonga Mahima, Achille Cloete, Akhona Mnyaka
WP TRAMPLE DRAGONS TO REGISTER SECOND WIN
Western Province registered their second win in the CSA 4-day Challenge with a dominant eight-wicket victory over the North West Dragons at Newlands Stadium on Saturday.
Western Province, who needed 73 runs to win in their second innings, chased down the total in 16.1 overs and lost two wickets on the way.
Eddie Moore (33) and Daniel Smith (22) dragged Western Province to within touching distance of the score with a 50-run opening stand, and Yaseen Vallie (12*) and David Bedingham (4) saw them home.
Mthiwekhaya Nabe set the home side on course with a sensational five-wicket haul in the first innings.
The 28-year-old medium pacer has been steadily improving as the tournament has progressed.
In the last match, he registered his fifth four-wicket haul and improved on that with a five-for against the Dragons.
Nabe's five wickets for 46 runs in 11 overs helped Western Province restrict the visitors to 236.
George Linde top-scored for Western Province as they replied to the Dragons' total.
The bowling all-rounder was in good form as he registered his 15th first-class half-century.
Before he came to the crease, Yaseen Vallie (59) and David Bedingham (51) had set Western Province up with a 112-run third-wicket partnership.
Vallie and Bedingham's half-tons provided the hosts with the boost they needed after their openers had departed cheaply.
Migael Pretorius fought a lone battle to keep the visitors in the contest.
The all-rounder's 83 off 79 and his 124-run eighth-wicket partnership with Meeka-eel Prince lifted the Dragons to a respectable total of 236.
With the ball, Pretorius took six wickets for 78 runs in 20 overs to restrict Western Province to 345.
He was the best bowler for the Dragons and the second-most successful bowler in the match.
Pretorius' efforts needed backing up, and none came.
In the second innings, the Dragons were rolled over for 181.
Lesego Senokwane (49) and Grant Mokoena (45) had put up something of a fight with an 89-run opening stand.
Unfortunately for the Dragons, there wasn't much batting afterwards.
Only one of the next nine batters scored 20 or more runs, and a mere three reached double figures as they crumbled to 181.
Kyle Simmons was Western Province's star with the ball in the Dragons' second innings.
The spinner bagged his 14th first-class fourth-wicket haul.
He ended the game with four wickets for 51 runs in 30.4 overs. Mthiwekhaya Nabe was the pick of the Western Province bowlers in the match with six wickets for 72 in 21 overs.
WESTERN PROVINCE: Eddie Moore, Daniel Smith, Yaseen Vallie, David Bedingham, Valentine Kitime, George Linde, Kyle Simmons, Onke Nyaku, Beuran Hendricks, Dane Paterson, Mthiwekhaya Nabe.
NORTH WEST DRAGONS: Lesego Senokwane, Grant Mokoena, Lesiba Ngoepe, Raynard van Tonder, Wihan Lubbe, Senuran Muthusamy, Ruan de Swardt, Meeka-eel Prince, Migael Pretorius, Kerwin Mungroo, Gideon Peters.
WARRIORS ON TOP AFTER DAY THREE
Beyers Swanepoel starred with bat and ball to put the Dafabet Warriors in control of their CSA 4-day Challenge match against the Multiply Titans at SuperSport Park on Saturday.
At stumps, the Titans were on 117 for two. They lead the Warriors by 40 runs with eight wickets in hand.
Matthew Kleinveldt (39 off 94) and Dewald Brevis (39 off 63) were at the crease when umpires called it a day.
Earlier in the day, the Warriors put up 460 in reply to the Titans' first- innings total of 383.
The visitors' first innings total came courtesy of a high-octane innings from Beyers Swanepoel.
Swanepoel was at his destructive best with the bat. The 25-year-old left-hander tore the Titans' bowling attack apart as he bludgeoned 65 runs off 36 balls.
The allrounder registered his sixth first-class half-century in a blistering knock that featured eight fours and five sixes.
When Swanepoel arrived at the crease the visitors were on 371 for seven, following the dismissal of Sinethemba Qeshile.
The Warriors wicketkeeper rediscovered form for the first time this season with a well-played 50.
His score of 66 off 89 balls is his highest of the season and his only half-century so far.
Swanepoel shared a 66-run eighth-wicket partnership with Marco Jansen that came off 53 balls.
The Proteas allrounder was dismissed for 39 off 61. Swanepoel was so belligerent that he scored all 21 runs in his 21-run ninth-wicket partnership with Aphiwe Mnyanda.
Neil Brand was the Titans' most successful bowler with three wickets for 17 runs in four overs.
Corbin Bosch also took three wickets in his 25 overs but went at a higher economy rate of 4.37 overs compared to Brand's 4.25.
When the Titans came out for their second innings, it did not take long before Swanepoel made his presence felt again.
The medium pacer took the Warriors' second wicket of the day, dismissing Dean Elgar before the Proteas star could inflict damage with the bat.
The Titans found themselves in a world of trouble after their top-order failed to lay a foundation in back-to-back innings.
In the first innings, Dean Elgar and Neil Brand's opening stand put up 15 runs.
In the second, they managed 14. In both instances, the home side was two wickets down for less than 100 runs and the rebuilding job fell on the shoulders of Matthew Kleinveldt and Dewald Brevis.
In the first innings, Kleinveldt and Brevis' third-wicket partnership added 41 runs to the total.
At stumps on day three, the pair had added an unbeaten 73 to the Titans' second innings.
Beyers Swanepoel and Marco Jansen were the two wicket-takers for the Warriors.
Both took a wicket each. Swanepoel had the better economy rate, he conceded two runs an over compared to Jansen's 2.37 runs an over. Swanepoel is the leading wicket-taker for the Warriors in the match with six wickets for 99 runs in 34 overs.
TITANS: Dean Elgar, Neil Brand, Matthew Kleinveldt, Dewald Brevis, Sibonelo Makhanya, Modiri Litheko, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Junior Dala, Tladi Bokako.
WARRIORS: Jiveshan Pillay, Jordan Hermann, Diego Rosier, Andile Mokgakane, Rudi Second, Sinethemba Qeshile, Patrick Kruger, Marco Jansen, Beyers Swanepoel, Renaldo Meyer, Aphiwe Mnyanda
