Div 2 Wrap: Rhinos, Badgers and Storm in control after day one

MAYET CENTURY PUTS RHINOS IN CONTROL

Muhammed Mayet's brilliant century helped Mpumalanga Rhinos reach 256 on day one of their CSA Four-Day Series match against Eastern Cape Iinyathi at Uplands College, White River, on Thursday.

In reply, Eastern Cape Iinyathi stumbled to 115 for five. At stumps, the visitors had Nonelela Yikha (40) and Mncedisi Malika (21) at the crease.

Eastern Cape Iinyathi trail Mpumalanga Rhinos by 141 runs with five wickets remaining.

Mayet stroked 12 fours and a single six on his way to 102 runs from 167 deliveries. Benjamin van Niekerk also played wonderfully for his half-century. The only other significant contributor to the Rhinos' effort was Yassar Cook (46).

On the morning of day one, Mpumalanga Rhinos won the toss and chose to bat first, and 7.5 overs into their innings, Siphesihle Madlongolwana interrupted the hosts' flying start.

The pacer claimed his second first-class wicket with the early dismissal of Rhinos opener Tumi Koto. Koto had contributed 28 runs in his 35-run opening partnership with Benjamin van Niekerk.

Benjamin van Niekerk and Muhammed Mayet responded to the early loss with a solid partnership. Van Niekerk romped to a third first-class half-century in 73 deliveries in the first hour of play.

Unfortunately for the hosts, van Niekerk was dismissed two balls later without adding more to his 50 runs.

Mayet needed more deliveries than Van Niekerk to reach his half-century. The 25-year-old faced 112 balls to bring up his fourth first-class half-century.

Cook failed to be the third Rhinos batter to reach the 50-run mark. The 29-year-old former Lions player fell four runs short of his 17th first-class half-century.

Cook's dismissal was the beginning of a collapse that saw the Rhinos go from 193 for three to 215 for six in just over six overs.

Jade de Klerk was the architect of the collapse. De Klerk dismissed Jurie Snyman (5) and Rubin Hermann (0) in consecutive deliveries. Thomas Kaber completed it with the wicket of Alexander Kok (1).

Mayet, who was in the late 70s, looked like he was going to run out of partners before hitting the 90s as the procession of wickets continued.

Luco van der Walt (9) and Gerald Ngwenyama (0) were dismissed within four deliveries of each other as De Klerk and Kaber struck again.

Thula Ngcobo and Lindokuhle Pawuli were at the crease just long enough to allow Mayet adequate time to reach his second first-class century.

It took him 164 deliveries to get there. Mayet was also the last Rhinos wicket to fall, three balls after the milestone.

Jade de Klerk was Eastern Cape Iinyathi's best bowler in the innings. The 24-year-old left-arm spinner claimed four wickets for 85 runs in 24 overs. Thomas Kaber also took four wickets for 71 runs in 18.3 overs.

Eastern Cape Iinyathi's reply ran into the weeds as soon as it started, thanks to Lindokuhle Pawuli. The pacer struck in the fourth over to dismiss Joshua van Heerden.

Eastern Cape Iinyathi seemed to be on the right path with their rebuild when Pawuli struck again to leave them two wickets down in 9.6 overs.

Weeds turned into quicksand when Alexander Kok and his offbreaks were introduced into the attack. The 24-year-old spinner dismissed Jerry Nqolo (14) and Marco Marais (9) in his first two overs, and also accounted for Thomas Kaber (10) to leave the visitors struggling on 80 for five.

Alexander Kok was Mpumalanga Rhinos' star with the ball on day one.

The spinner bagged three wickets for 25 runs in 11 overs. Lindokuhle Pawuli took two wickets for 13 runs in six overs.

MALAN STARS FOR THE BADGERS

Andre Malan bagged a third first-class five-wicket haul as he helped Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers restrict the AET Tuskers to a first-innings score of 175 in their CSA Four-Day Series Division two match at Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn on Thursday.

In reply, the Badgers were on 28 for one, with Blayde Capell (13*) and Jean du Plessis (7*) at the crease. The Badgers trail the Tuskers by 147 runs with nine wickets in hand.

Malan almost matched his career-best bowling figures in an innings of five for 37 in his effort for the Badgers. He missed by one run. The 31-year-old took five wickets for 38 runs in 19 overs.

On the morning of day one, Basheeru-Deen Walters put a spanner into the works for Tuskers with the dismissal of Yaseen Valli in the 11th over.

Andre Malan kept the pressure on and was rewarded with a wicket in the next over. Michael Erlank, the second Tuskers captain, fell for one run from nine balls.

The Tuskers' morning got worse when Sintu Majeza dismissed Thamsanqa Kumalo 5.2 overs after Erlank's dismissal.

Kumalo had a start, worked his way to 21 off 52, but failed to kick on. After 17 overs, Tuskers were sinking on 31 for three and needed Tian Koekemoer (38) and Cameron Shekleton (28) to build a significant partnership that would stabilise the innings.

Koekemoer and Shekleton hunkered down and accumulated runs at a deliberate pace. Their partnership spanned 29.5 overs and they added 66 runs to the total in the process.

Koekemoer and Shekleton were so joined at the hip that they were dismissed within two balls of each other by Malan and Sean Whitehead respectively.

The Tuskers tried another rebuilding effort with Malcolm Nofal (19) and Andile Mogakane (22) at the crease.

Like Koekemoer and Shekleton, they had starts but failed to kick on. And also similar to what happened with Koekemoer and Shekleton, Nofal and Mogakane were dismissed in a short space of time. They were both dismissed by Andre Malan.

Malan and Pheko Moletsane made light work of the remaining three wickets. None of Dilvio Ridgaard, Keith Dudgeon and Alindile Mhletywa scored more than 15 runs.

Malan was also the pick of the bowlers for the Badgers. The 31-year-old registered his second first-class five-wicket haul with figures of five wickets for 38 runs in 19 overs.

SEKHUKHUNE SHINES FOR EASTERN STORM

Kabelo Sekhukhune scored a measured century as he steered Eastern Storm to a first-innings score of 330 in their CSA Four-Day Series Division two match against Limpopo Impalas at Polokwane Cricket Club on Thursday.

Sekhukhune's century, 102 runs from 218 deliveries, featured 11 fours. The 25-year-old left-hander also formed a match-turning 153-run fourth-wicket partnership with Danie Rossouw (80).

In reply, the Impalas were on three for no loss of wickets. They had Liam Peters (1*) and Ludwig Kaestner (2*) at the crease and trail Eastern Storm by 327 runs with 10 wickets in hand.

Mark Pearse started day one as he always does when his team is asked to bat first, in a bullish mood. Despite losing his opening partner, Wesley Coulentianos (9), at the close of the ninth over, Pearse was unbridled in his stroke-playing.

The 25-year-old raced to 50 runs off 43 balls. Pearse's impeccable conversion rate was blemished when he was dismissed by Zakhele Qwabe on the next delivery after the milestone. This is the first time Pearse has been unable to convert a 50-run score into a century in first-class cricket.

Nhlanhla Mashego got in but failed to kick on. The 21-year-old was playing his maiden first-class innings struck five fours on his way to 32 off 51 balls. He fell to Sithembile Langa just before the stroke of lunch.

In the post-lunch session, Kabelo Sekhukhune and Danie Rossouw combined for a sturdy fourth-wicket partnership.

Rossouw was the aggressor of the partnership and he raced to a comfortable half-century that came off 82 balls.

Sekhukhune was a little more circumspect. The 25-year-old faced 151 deliveries to bring up his 10th first-class half-century.

Sekhukhune and Rossouw's fourth-wicket partnership was eventually broken in the 75th over. They had amassed an impressive 153 runs.

Rossouw was dismissed after scoring a new career-best first-class high score of 80 runs. His previous high score was 73 runs.

When Rossouw was dismissed, Sekhukhune had 84 runs to his name. From that period to his century, Sekhukhune had three partners.

First, he shared the crease with Mykyle Pillay (7), then there was Mangaliso Mosehle (0) and finally was in the company of Divan Posthumus (12) when reached the milestone.

Following Sekhukhune's century, Eastern Storm lost another bunch of wickets. This time it was the centurion Sekhukhune, Posthumus and Nico van Zyl (0) in a space of five deliveries.

Zakhele Qwabe was Limpopo Impalas's best bowler in the innings with five wickets for 76 runs in 17 overs. This is the 34-year-old's seventh first-class five-wicket haul.

Qwabe was supported by Sithembile Langa, who took three wickets for 48 runs in 17 overs.