DAY 3: Tuskers, Warriors and WP take control
TUSKERS DOMINATE THE THIRD DAY
Michael Erlank's century catapulted the AET Tuskers into a position of strength in their CSA 4-day Challenge match against the North West Dragons at the JB Marks Oval on Saturday. The visitors scored 492 in reply to the Dragons' first-innings total of 431.
At stumps, the Dragons were on 118 for three. They lead the Tuskers by 57 runs with seven wickets in hand.
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The Tuskers captain became the second centurion of the match after Ben Compton's imperious 170 on day two of the contest. Erlank arrived at the crease late on day two, with the Tuskers on 224 for two, and batted through 66.5 overs for his 102 runs. This is his 11th first-class century. Of the bowlers that came after him, only Dilivio Ridgard scored more than 20 runs. The 26-year-old narrowly missed out on a fifth first-class half-century. He fell for 48 off 93.
Migael Pretorius was the pick of the bowlers for the Dragons. The pacer bagged his fourth first-class five-wicket haul. He took 5-99 in 27 overs. CJ King and Suneran Muthusamy took two wickets each.
The Dragons' second innings faced early problems when they lost three wickets in the first 22 overs after adding only 60 runs. However, Grant Mokoena remained unshaken by the early collapse. The 36-year-old campaigner worked his way to a second half-century in as many innings. In the first innings, Mokoena scored 74 off 97 and followed that up with an unbeaten 66 off 127. At stumps, he was in the company of Wihan Lubbe, who was on 28 off 64.
Malcolm Nofal stood out for the Tuskers with 2-32 in 11 overs. Thando Ntini, who made the early breakthrough, took 1-29 in 11 overs. Keith Dudgeon is the current leading wicket-taker for the Tuskers. He took 6-102 in 18 overs.
DRAGONS: Lesego Senokwane, Grant Mokoena, Lesiba Ngoepe, Rubin Hermann, Wihan Lubbe, Senuran Muthusamy, Meeka-eel Prince, Migael Pretorius, Duan Jansen, CJ King, Kerwin Mungroo.
TUSKERS: Ben Compton, Kagiso Rapulana, Tian Koekemoer, Michael Erlank, Pite van Biljon, Malcolm Nofal, Alindile Mhletywa, Keith Dudgeon, Thamsanqa Khumalo, Dilivio Ridgard, Thando Ntini.
DOLPHINS IN CONTROL ON DAY THREE
The Hollywoodbets Dolphins bowlers, led by Jon-Jon Smuts, dominated on the third day of the KZN-based team's CSA 4-day Challenge match against the Gbets Rocks at Eurolux Boland Park on Saturday. The Dolphins, who declared on 475 for seven in their first innings, bowled out the hosts for 332. At stumps, they were on 43 for one.
They lead the Rocks by 186 runs with nine wickets in hand. Sarel Erwee was unbeaten on 22 off 49, while Marques Ackerman was on six off 23.
Mgijima was a man apart in an otherwise uninspiring Rocks' batting lineup that capitulated to Smuts and company. The 33-year-old was the only batter with the wherewithal to bat against the Dolphins' attack. The experienced batter, who carried over his innings from day two, remained unbeaten on 132 off 285. This is Mgijima's new career-best first-class score. His previous best was 112.
Mgijima unsuccessfully tried to stitch together partnerships with his teammates to mount a fightback after the Rocks' top order stumbled on day two. The highest partnership he was part of was the 37-run eighth-wicket partnership with Achille Cloete.
Smuts, the star of the Dolphins' bowling lineup, bagged his 12th fourth-wicket wicket haul in first-class cricket and ended the innings with 4-107 in 51 overs.
The allrounder delivered the most overs and virtually spent the entire third day bowling from one end while his counterparts took turns at the other end. Smuts bowled so many overs that Okuhle Cele's quota of the day was equal to the number of maiden overs he bowled. Smuts bowled 20 maidens.
Prenelan Subrayen bowled the second-most overs with 35. He was rewarded with a single wicket for 72 runs. Cele, who took the second-most wickets, took 3-49 in 20 overs. And Andile Phehlukwayo, who came in and cleaned up the tail, took 2-23 in eight overs.
ROCKS: Janneman Malan, Stiaan van Zyl, Pieter Malan (c), Jason Oakes, Aviwe Mgijima, Ferisco Adams, Shaun Von Berg, Glenton Stuurman, Siya Mahima, Achille Cloete, Akhona Mnyaka.
DOLPHINS: Sarel Erwee, Tshepang Dithole, Marques Ackerman, Grant Roelofsen, Jason Smith, Andile Phehlukwayo, Ottniel Baartman, Prenelan Subrayen, Jon-Jon Smuts, Okuhle Cele, Slade van Staden.
WARRIORS CLAIM EMPHATIC WIN OVER LIONS IN GQEBERHA
A clinical all-around performance by the Dafabet Warriors saw them thump the DP World Lions by 305 runs inside three days of the CSA 4-Day Series clash in Gqeberha on Saturday.
Patrick Kruger and Renaldo Meyer finished with figures of 3-22 and 3-42 respectively as Rudi Second claimed 2-8 runs in 5.1 overs, while Alfred Mothoa and Siya Simetu claimed one wicket each as the visitors were dismissed for 158 in 59.1 overs of their second innings.
The Warriors had returned from the lunch break buoyed by the early wicket of Dominic Hendricks, who was trapped leg before wicket, and the Lions on 20 for one shortly before the first session ended.
The hosts struck soon after the break when Meyer removed Richards for 21 runs in an innings that lasted 47 deliveries and included two boundaries and a six.
Rudi Second trapped Ryan Rickelton for just three runs before Meyer pulled off a stunning catch at cover to remove Connor Esterhuizen for Mothoa’s first strike of the match with the Lions in trouble on 66 for four.
Wiaan Mulder and Mitchell van Buuren then steadied the Lions innings to record their half-century partnership, having taken their side past 100.
The duo put on 57 runs for the fifth wicket, before Kruger claimed his first wicket with the dismissal of Mulder (38), caught by Sinethemba Qeshile before tea was called.
They returned from the tea break on 123 for five, with Mitchell van Buuren still at the crease on 24 off 35, including two boundaries and a six, and Wandile Makwetu set to join him after the interval. However, the Warriors struck twice, as Patrick Kruger dismissed Van Buuren (26) for the addition of just two runs to his score.
Renaldo Meyer then struck for the third time to bowl Bjorn Fortuin for five runs, before Wandile Makwetu was trapped leg-before wicket for Kruger’s third of the innings, as the Lions slipped to 139 for eight, still 325 runs behind.
Siya Simetu removed Cody Yusuf (2) caught and bowled for his first wicket of the innings as the visitors breached 150, with the table-topping Lions still 310 runs in arrears before Kwena Maphaka (0) was trapped in front of his stumps by Second to close out the match.
Earlier, the home side resumed day three with the bat looking to score quickly, but they lost Sinethemba Qeshile early having added just four runs to his overnight score of 10 before he became Kwena Maphaka’s second victim of the innings.
Jiveshan Pillay faced 125 balls to amass 57 runs, sharing 46 with Patrick Kruger, as he hit six boundaries and two sixes before being caught and bowled by Bjorn Fortuin for his third of the innings.
Kruger blasted 46 runs from 37 balls, hitting six fours and two maximums to take the Warriors past 150 before he fell off the bowling of Mitchell van Buuren which saw them declare on 169 for seven.
Fortuin finished the second innings with three wickets from 14 overs, while Kwena Maphaka took his match tally to four wickets with second-innings figures of 2-37 from six overs.
VALLIE CENTURY PUTS WP IN THE DRIVING SEAT
Western Province made a late charge with three wickets to hold the Momentum Multiply Titans to 78 for four at the close of play on day three of their CSA 4-Day Series match in Cape Town.
Two wickets by Kyle Simmonds and one by Juan James saw the Titans slump to 78 for four shortly before the close as the home side turned on the pressure.
When stumps were drawn, Sibonelo Makhanya and Donovan Ferreira, both yet to score, were still at the crease with 379 runs still to get and six wickets in hand heading into the final day.
Chasing 457 for victory, Matthew Kleinveldt and Dean Elgar got the ball rolling with a 30-run opening stand that lasted 66 balls before Kelinveldt was trapped in front by Beuran Hendricks.
Elgar and Joshua van Heerden shared 48 runs for the second wicket before Simmonds grabbed the latter’s wicket for 14.
Elgar fell for 47 off 99 balls including seven boundaries, caught by Eddie Moore off Juan James before Simmonds struck again, this time removing Dewald Brevis for a duck, with the catch also completed by Moore.
Earlier, the home side were bowled out for 365 in their second innings thanks to two Junior Dala wickets as the tea break was delayed to accommodate the falling of the last two wickets.
WP No 3 batter Yaseen Vallie scored a patient 110 off 142 balls, along with half-centuries by Daniel Smith (73) and skipper Kyle Verreynne (51) helping them post a lead of 456 for the Titans to chase.
Having taken their side to the lunch on 158 for two, Vallie (63 off 89) and Valentine Kitime (10 off 29) looked to accelerate after the break but they lost Kitime for 12 runs.
Vallie stroked 14 boundaries and a six on his way to a 16th First Class century, while Verreynne (51) found the boundary on eight occasions (6x4, 2x6) before he fell to Brevis, with the catch completed by Donovan Ferreira for his second of the match. WP were on 262 for four and leading by 351.
Kitime may have added only two runs to his score at lunch before being dismissed by offspinner Brevis with WP’s score on 172, but Vallie and skipper Kyle Verreynne steadied the ship to take the hosts past 200.
Brevis claimed a third by trapping Vallie in front of his stumps for 110 before Ferreira took two wickets of his own, having Beuran Hendricks caught by Elgar for 14 before Nandre Burger was bowled for a single to leave the home side on 310 for eight before a 44-run ninth wicket stand between Simmonds and Kenan Smith took them past 350.
WP went to tea all out for 365 with Kyle Simmonds scoring an unbeaten 43 from 60 balls including five boundaries, after WP lost Kenan Smith (17 off 41) and Mthiwekhaya Nabe (8) to Junior Dala as the tea break loomed.
Dala finished with 3-93 from 17 overs, while Brevis claimed 3-84 from 19 overs, and Ferreira claimed 2-33 in his 13 overs.
WP: Daniel Smith, Eddie Moore, Yaseen Callie, Valentine Kitime, Kyle Verreynne [C,WK], Juan James, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks, Nandre Burger, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Kenan Smith
Titans: Matthew Kleinveldt, Dean Elgar, Joshua van Heerden, Dewald Brevis, Sibonelo Makhanda, Donovan Ferreira, Rivaldo Moonsamy [WK], Ayabulela Gqamane, Merrick Brett, Junior Dala, Lizaad Williams [C].
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