Day 4: Western Province march to victory, Lions and Boland share spoils

Tuskers v Western Province

Daniel Smith and Kyle Simmonds starred with bat and ball as WSB Western Province marched to a comfortable 139-run win over the Moothee Ram Tuskers in their CSA 4-Day Series encounter at Pietermaritzburg Oval on Friday.

Western Province won the toss, elected to bat first, and registered 290 runs before the Tuskers responded with a total of 148. Western Province took a 142-run lead into the third innings and added a further 201 for six declared, before bowling the hosts out for 204 to secure victory.

Kyle Simmonds put Western Province on the front foot with a sensational 39-ball 60 in the first innings. His effort complemented Daniel Smith and Valentine Kitime’s half-centuries. Smith top-scored for the visitors with 61 from 81 deliveries and Kitime contributed 52 off 92 balls.

Simmonds carried his brilliant form into the second innings. The 31-year-old spun his way to a 12th first-class five-wicket haul, taking five wickets for 39 runs in 20 overs. Sean Whitehead, who registered a five-wicket haul of his own, 5-66, in the first innings, scored a valiant, unbeaten 46, but his effort couldn’t help the Tuskers much.

Smith registered his second half-century in the match, his 13th in the format, in the third innings to power the visitors to a 343-run lead over the Tuskers. He scored 93 from 116 deliveries. Juan James, with whom he shared a 105-run partnership, registered his maiden first-class half-century, a well-played 91-ball 56.

Yaseen Valli scored a half-century for the Tuskers in the fourth innings, but his effort was inadequate to save the hosts. Vallie was the only Tuskers batter to get to 50 runs in the match. He was dismissed for a well-played 58 from 105 balls.

Lions v Boland

Goldrush Boland pulled together as a unit and forced a draw in their encounter against the DP World Lions at the DP World Wanderers in Johannesburg.

The Lions, who won the toss and elected to bat first, scored 374 runs. The visitors stumbled to 278 in their reply. The Lions ensured that they would not lose the contest but gave themselves a chance at victory by declaring on 206 for five on the final day. Boland defended well and scored 153 for eight to force the draw.

Zubayr Hamza endured the stop-start nature of the first two days, which was disrupted by rain, on his way to a well-played 148-ball 115. This is his 20th first-class century. Hamza arrived at the crease early on day one and ensured that the hosts consolidated through his 120-run second-wicket partnership with Dominic Hendricks (51).

Connor Esterhuizen (79) and Bjorn Fortuin (66) also reached half-centuries as the Lions mounted an imposing first-innings total. Aviwe Mgijima and Glenton Stuurman kept Boland in the contest with a pair of crucial half-centuries. Mgijima scored a patient 161-ball 50, while Stuurman scored a breezy 71 off 85 deliveries.

Esterhuizen carried his form with the bat into the third innings, where he helped to swell the Lions’ lead over Boland to 302 with a fine unbeaten half-century. He was unbeaten on 62 from 38 when the Lions declared their innings after lunch on day four.

Boland closed shop and defended well in the last two sessions. The Lions had a glimmer of hope when Nqaba Peter took two wickets in succession before Richard Seletswane ran Clyde Reeves-Fortuin out late in the day. However, Shaun von Berg (24*) and Aya Gqamane (16*) obstinately held on till the umpires called time.