SMUTS AND THOMSON SAVE THE DAY FOR HEAT
Kelly Smuts scored a well-paced half-century as he led Northern Cape Heat to a total of 250 for nine on day one of their CSA Four-Day Series Division two match against Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers at Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn, on Thursday.
Smuts arrived at the crease at the close of the 32nd over with Northern Cape Heat struggling on 74 for four. The 33-year-old left-hander resurrected the innings by combining with Grant Thomson (51) in a 93-run fifth-wicket partnership. Smuts' knock of 78 from 128 balls featured seven fours and two sixes.
At stumps, Northern Cape Heat had Romano Terblanche (25*) and Kagiso Mohale (2*) at the crease.
Northern Cape Heat won the toss and chose to bat.
In the previous match, Ernest Kemm won the toss and chose bat first. It paid dividends for Northern Cape Heat. That is not what happened at the Recreation Ground.
By the time the lunch break came around, Northern Cape Heat was three wickets down and crawling along at a run rate of 2.45 runs an over.
Victor Mahlangu (18) was the first wicket to fall, trapped lbw by Onke Nyaku. Sean Whitehead, who was introduced into the attack early, then dismissed Ernest Kemm (27) and Jason Oakes (15) in a short space of time.
Sean Whitehead was at it again almost immediately after the lunch interval.
The 25-year-old left-arm spinner claimed his third wicket, trapping the ever-dangerous Rivaldo Moonsamy lbw for only four runs from 17 balls.
Kelly Smuts and Grant Thomson stabilized the Northern Cape Heat innings with a 93-run fifth-wicket partnership. During the course of the partnership, Thomson brought up his 29th first-class half-century and Smuts his 26th.
Unfortunately for the visitors, Thomson was dismissed by Basheeru-Deen Walters for a well-played 51 off 127. Smuts' innings came to an end after 77.4 overs.
Shortly after Smuts' dismissal, Northern Cape Heat lost their last recognized batter when Walters dismissed allrounder Hanu Viljoen (16).
With Viljoen gone, it looked unlikely that Northern Cape Heat would bat through the last hour of play.
However, Tshepo Ntuli (10) and Romano Terblanche almost pulled off the feat by putting together a 23-run partnership that spanned over 13.1 overs. That partnership was broken when Ntuli was run out by Andre Malan.
Sean Whitehead was the pick of the bowlers for the Badgers. The left-arm spinner claimed three wickets from 25 overs for 74 runs. Basheeru-Deen Walters chipped in with two wickets for 27 runs in 17 overs.
PEARSE BLOWS AWAY RHINOS' BOWLERS
Mark Pearse decimated Mpumalanga Rhinos' bowlers as he scored an unbeaten half-century on day one of Eastern Storm's CSA Four-Day Series Division two match against the Rhinos at Willowmoore Park, Benoni.
Pearse was in incredible form as he smashed 13 fours and two sixes on his way to a brilliant unbeaten 87 off 62 runs. Pearse's high-octane knock came in reply to the Rhinos' first innings score of 304.
The Rhinos' total came thanks to Alexander Kok's unbeaten 87 from 97 deliveries. Kok's innings featured 11 fours and three sixes. Kok received support from Jon Hinrichsen (59) and Rubin Hermann (46).
In their reply, Eastern Storm was on 119 for the loss of one wicket at stumps. Mark Pearse came out guns blazing and the dismissal of Wesley Coulentianos early in Eastern Storm's innings did nothing to slow him down.
In his previous innings, Pearse struck eight fours and a single six as he raced to a score of 47 runs from 38 deliveries. In this innings, the naturally attacking opener scored at a higher strike rate.
Pearse, who reached his maiden first-class half-century with a six smashed over backward square, needed only 28 deliveries to pass the 50-run mark.
Pearse was in the company of Aron Visser (13). Bad light stopped play and stumps was called about twenty minutes early. Eastern Storm trail the Rhinos by 185 runs with nine wickets in hand.
On the morning of day one, Eastern Storm won the toss and elected to bowl and Mpumalanga Rhinos' innings progressed in fits and starts.
The Rhinos were three balls into their innings when Nico van Zyl struck for Eastern Storm. The 23-year-old pacer elicited an edge from Tumi Koto to dismiss the opener for a duck.
That undesirable start was followed by a 31-run partnership between Benjamin van Niekerk and Muhammed Mayet.
Following van Niekerk's dismissal, Mayet was tasked with another rebuilding effort. This time in the company of Jurie Snyman.
Both batters were looking good and Mayet was looking good for a fourth first-class half-century before Nico van Zyl dismissed him for a decent 38 off 73 balls.
Five deliveries and two runs later, Cook had joined Mayet back in the pavilion. At lunch, the Rhinos were struggling at 87 for four.
Rubin Hermann replaced Jurie Snyman and came in fighting fire with fire. The 26-year-old wicketkeeper played his shots and raced to 46 off 34 deliveries. Hermann's blistering knock featured seven fours and a single six.
Kieran Kenny did not look comfortable during his time in the middle. The 24-year-old contributed only four runs to his 28-run partnership with Alexander Kok.
In the 17 deliveries that he faced, Kenny scored a single four. Though Kenny did not come to the crease with the same mindset as Rubin Hermann, Jon Hinrichsen did.
Hinrichsen assumed the role of the stroke player in his partnership with Alexander Kok.
Kok, who faced just about 60 deliveries to bring up his second first-class half-century, seemed to be crawling compared to Hinrichsen.
Hinrichsen needed only 46 balls to go beyond his previous first-class high score of 45 and also bring up his maiden half-century.
He did it in style too. Hinrichsen hit back-to-back sixes, one a flick to the onside and the next a shot over deep midwicket to race through the 40s.
Hinrichsen's entertaining knock, which featured five fours and three sixes on his way to 59 off 50 deliveries, was ended by Eastern Storm's in-form bowler, Nico van Zyl.
With the Kok-Hinrichsen partnership dissolved, Eastern Storm required only 5.5 overs to wrap up the innings. Thula Ngcobo and Lindokuhle Pawuli were both dismissed for nought.
Nico van Zyl was Eastern Storm's most successful bowler with four wickets for 41 runs in 18 overs. Neo Felane took the second-most wickets with two wickets from 10 overs for 48 runs.
In his debut first-class match, Lindokuhle Pawuli did not bowl. And now in his second match, the pacer provided an early breakthrough for the Rhinos with the dismissal of Wesley Coulentianos.
Pawuli took the only wicket of the innings so far. He bowled three overs for 16 runs.
VAN HEERDEN STARS FOR EASTERN CAPE
Joshua van Heerden played a sensational innings as he led Eastern Cape Iinyathi to a first innings score of 245 on day one of their CSA Four-Day Series Division two match against Limpopo Impalas at Buffalo Park, East London, on Thursday.
Van Heerden struck 16 fours on his way to 99 runs 131 as he top-scored in a match where Limpopo Impalas' bowlers dominated.
The Impalas' attack was led by Sithembile Langa who recorded his career-best bowling figures in an innings with five wickets for 42 runs.
Limpopo Impalas faced 1.3 overs and were yet to score in their reply. Liam Peters and Ludwig Kaestner were at the crease at stumps.
The Impalas trail Eastern Cape Iinyathi by 245 runs with 10 wickets remaining.
The Impalas won the toss and chose to bowl.
Sithembile Langa gave the Impalas the perfect start to the day. The 28-year-old decimated the Eastern Cape Iinyathi top order in seven deliveries.
First struck twice in his third over to dismiss Jason Niemand and Nonelela Yikha, and then accounted for Jerry Nqolo's wicket two deliveries into his fourth over.
Joshua van Heerden and Marco Marais put in 19.3 overs of work as they rebuilt Eastern Cape Iinyathi's innings. Their fourth-wicket partnership added 57 runs to the total.
Unfortunately for the hosts, the promising partnership was broken by Thomas Hobson after 25.5 overs, before the duo batted Eastern Cape Iinyathi into a position of strength.
In contrast to the rest of the top five Eastern Cape Iinyathi batters who struggled to get off the mark, Joshua van Heerden made his way to a seventh first-class half-century with relative ease.
Van Heerden saw the home side past the 150-run mark, but could not see himself through to a second first-class century.
Zakhele Qwabe, who did not start well with the ball, atoned for his high economy rate by dismissing Eastern Cape Iinyathi's in-form batter.
After van Heerden's dismissal, it looked like Thomas Kaber was going to take the baton from the opener.
Kaber played a watchful but assured knock and seemed set for a 12th first-class half-century. Unfortunately for the allrounder, he fell short by some distance, dismissed by Ruan Haasbroek for 34 off 122.
Ruan Haasbroek took another crucial wicket 16.2 overs later when he dismissed a set Mncedisi Malika. When he ended Malika's fine innings of 39 runs off 96 balls, Haasbroek exposed Eastern Cape Iinyathi's tail.
Just under four overs later, Qwabe dismissed Phaphama Fojela for a 13-ball 14 runs. Shortly afterwards, Sinovuyo Ntuntwana and Gideon Peters were dismissed for ducks.
Sithembile Langa starred with the ball for Limpopo Impalas. The 27-year-old pacer bagged his fourth first-class five-wicket haul with figures of five wickets for 42 runs from 21.4 overs.
Those figures are also Langa's best bowling figures in an innings. Ruan Haasbroek and Zakhele Qwabe took two wickets each.