DAY 4: Warriors, Dragons, and Boland register wins in first round of 4-Day matches

Sinethemba Qeshile’s masterful first innings century laid the foundation for the Dafabet Warriors’ 48-run victory over WSB Western Province in their CSA 4-Day Series encounter at St George’s Park on Sunday.

The Warriors' wicketkeeper walked out to the crease when the hosts were in a woeful situation. They had lost three wickets for eight runs. Qeshile occupied the crease for 75 overs, accumulating 129 runs off 211 balls. His tally steered the Warriors to 281 runs.

The home side’s bowling attack combined to restrict Western Province to 182 runs in their reply. Valentine Kitime fought against the onslaught with a patient half-century, 54 from 117 balls; unfortunately, his effort could only help get the deficit a single digit below the 100-run mark.

That meant that the Warriors carried a 99-run lead into the third innings. Matthew Breetzke (66) and Muhammad Manack (53) contributed 104 runs for the third wicket as they helped the hosts extend their lead to 352 runs. The Warriors scored 253 for eight declared in the third innings.

The duo’s knock nullified the impact of Tshepo Moreki’s five-wicket haul in the innings. The Western Province pacer took five wickets for 62 runs in 17.1 overs. Dane Paterson was the only other wicket-taker for Western Province in the innings with 3-49.

As they did in Western Province’s first innings, the Warriors’ bowling attack delivered a team effort as they bowled the visitors out for 304. Their combined effort did enough to ensure that half-centuries from Daniel Smith (63), Kyle Simmonds (58, and Jiveshan Pillay (53) did not add up to a winning total for Western Province.

KAPLAN’S MAJESTIC 238 POWERS BOLAND TO CRUSHING WIN OVER TITANS

Gavin Kaplan’s imperious double century set the stage for Goldrush Boland’s convincing nine-wicket win over the Momentum Multiply Titans when they crossed swords at Boland Park.

Kaplan occupied the crease for a day and a half as he registered his career-best first-class score, a monstrous 238 from 396 deliveries. Kaplan showed great restraint, hitting 27 fours and a mere three sixes in his knock. The No 3 batter shared an outstanding 280-run second wicket partnership with Grant Roelofsen (150) as they powered Boland to 616 for nine declared.

Tshepo Ndwandwa fought valiantly for the Titans, delivering 43.2 overs, on his way to six wickets for 178 runs. However, what he didn’t have was a partner-in-crime, like Glenton Stuurman. The Boland pacer put the brakes on the Titans’ reply with a five-wicket haul of his own, 6-61. Stuurman had Shaun von Berg’s help at the other end, and the spinner took the other four wickets for 95 runs as Boland restricted the Titans to 366.

Boland asked Titans to follow on, and their dependable bowlers stopped the visitors dead in their tracks. Shaun von Berg bagged another four wickets for 68 runs, and Akhona Mnyaka backed him up with four wickets for 62 runs as they bowled the Titans out for a second time for 301 runs.

The Titans’ two consistent batters, Donovan Ferreira and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, needed more help than they received. Ferreira scored a century and a half-century, 123 and 70, while Pretorius made two half-tons, 57 and 75; unfortunately, those efforts were not enough to help the Gauteng side avoid defeat. Dayyaan Galiem (110*) also registered a century in the first innings.

The Titans had the unenviable task of defending 51 runs in the fourth innings. Boland had no trouble racing to 52 for one to claim their first win of the season. Pieter Malan (20*) and Aviwe Mgijima (5*) saw them home in five overs.

MOTHOA RIPS THROUGH TUSKERS TO SEAL DOMINANT DRAGONS WIN

Alfred Mothoa ran through the Moothee Ram Tuskers’ top order in a fantastic new ball spell to set the Eastvaal Renault Dragons up for a comfortable eight-wicket win at Pietermaritzburg Oval.

Mothoa, who finished the third innings with four wickets for 22 runs in eight overs, took three of the four wickets that the Tuskers lost for 32 runs in 10.3 overs. The pacer’s exploits helped to ensure that the hosts were bowled out for a mere 98 runs, which gave them a 36-run lead, before the Dragons raced to victory in 10 overs.

The Tuskers wanted to fully utilise their home advantage when they won the toss and elected to bat first. Unfortunately, they lost wickets at regular intervals and struggled to get going. However, Michael Erlank stood tall with an unbeaten 200 as he shepherded them to 399. Andile Mogakane (67) and Cameron Shekleton (54) chipped in with decent scores, but couldn’t help the hosts past 400 runs.

Lesiba Ngoepe (154) led the charge as the Dragons replied with 461 for eight declared. The opener’s knock laid the foundation, before Raynard van Tonder (73), Dian Forrester (66), and Ruan de Swardt (59), scored half-centuries that put the visitors on the front foot.

The Tuskers, who didn’t give up despite having few runs to work with, took two wickets in the fourth innings, but that didn’t stop the Dragons’ charge across the finishing line. Meeka-eel Prince top-scored with 15 runs; however it was Wihan Lubbe (10*) and Raynard van Tonder (9*) who saw the visitors home.