Malan guides Boland past the 100 mark at lunch on day one

Pieter Malan stood strong as he guided Goldrush Boland to 106 for two at lunch on the first day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against the DP World Lions at Boland Park on Thursday.

The toss went Boland's way and Clyde Reeves-Fortuin elected to bat first. Malan showed his experience and abilities with a patient 42 off 93. The seasoned campaigner is inching close to his 200th First-Class match and is eight runs short of his 57th red-ball half-century. He was in the company of Aviwe Mgijima (9*) at the break.

Malan shared a steady 41-run opening stand with Grant Roelofsen. The partnership saw the home side through the first 30 minutes without any damage to the wicket column. They almost got their side through the first hour without losing a wicket but were unable to do so.

Dominic Hendricks, who made his return to the Lions' set-up after a loan spell with the Knights during the One-Day Challenge, is the captain. He changed things up and introduced Junaid Dawood into the attack and the move reaped instant rewards. Dawood broke Malan and Roelofsen's burgeoning partnership.

Malan then joined forces with Gavin Kaplan for a 55-run second-wicket partnership that looked as if it was wresting control of the innings away from the visitors. That stand was broken by Bjorn Fortuin, who trapped Kaplan lbw for a well-played 31 off 50 balls.

Fortuin and Dawood were the only successful bowlers for the Lions in the morning session. Fortuin took one wicket for 39 runs in 13 overs. Dawood also had a single wicket but conceded 37 runs in eight overs.

BOLAND: Grant Roelofsen, Pieter Malan, Gavin Kaplan, Aviwe Mgijima, Michael Copeland, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin (wk)(capt), Shaun von Berg, Keith Dudgeon, Glenton Stuurman, Siya Mahima, Aphiwe Mnyaka

LIONS: Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Zubayr Hamza, Mitch van Buuren, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Wandile Makwetu, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Lutho Sipamla, Nqaba Peter, Junaid Dawood