DITHOLE AND VAN STADEN CENTURIES PUT DOLPHINS IN FRONT
Slade van Staden and Tshepang Dithole scored brilliant centuries as they helped the Hollywoodbets Dolphins reach 374-4 at stumps on the first day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against the Knights at the Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein, on Thursday.
The Dolphins won the toss and elected to bat first. They kept the hosts in the field with little reward throughout day one as they piled on runs.
They had Bryce Parsons (78*) and Romashan Pillay (41*) at the crease at the close of play.
Dithole laid the foundation for a big total with an impressive 104 from 186 deliveries.
The 31-year-old weathered the storm of the Knights' bowling attack in the morning session, choosing a circumspect approach as he worked his way to 50 runs.
He chewed up 107 deliveries to reach that milestone. After getting his eye in, Dithole breezed to his fourth first-class century, facing a mere 71 balls to go from 50 to 100.
He faced a total of 178 balls for his ton. The 31-year-old shared an outstanding 161-run second-wicket partnership with Slade van Staden.
For his part, Van Staden played an excellent hand on his way to a maiden first-class century.
The 21-year-old adopted the same approach as Dithole. He faced 95 deliveries to get to 50 and needed only 60 balls to go from 50 to 100, for a total of 155 balls to reach the milestone.
Before his dismissal, Van Staden had shared an 88-run third-wicket partnership with Bryce.
Parsons did what Van Staden did after Dithole's dismissal, he took control of the innings.
The 23-year-old batted excellently as he registered his sixth first-class half-century.
He faced 84 deliveries to reach the milestone. At stumps, he had shared an unbroken 81-run fifth-wicket partnership with Pillay.
Malusi Siboto was the pick of the bowlers for the Knights with two wickets for 30 runs in 12 overs.
Matthew Pollard and Aubrey Swanepoel were the other wicket-takers with a single wicket each.
KNIGHTS: Jacques Snyman, Lesego Senokwane, Gihahn Cloete (wk), Patrick Botha, Dian Forrester, Aubrey Swanepoel, Aaron Phangiso, Tiaan van Vuuren, Matthew Pollard, Dane Piedt (capt), Malusi Siboto.
HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Sarel Erwee (capt), Tshepang Dithole (wk), Slade van Staden, Bryce Parsons, Jason Smith, Romashan Pillay, Jon-Jon Smuts, Andile Simelane, Prenelan Subrayen, Daryn Dupavillon, Okuhle Cele.
SWANEPOEL BOWLS WARRIORS INTO STRONG POSITION
Beyers Swanepoel bagged a five-wicket haul to help the Dafabet Warriors restrict the DP World Lions to 291 on the first day of their CSA 4-Day Series match at the DP World Wanderers in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The Warriors will start their first innings on Friday morning. They trail the Lions by 291 runs with 10 wickets in hand.
The Lions won the toss and elected to bat first. The home side enjoyed control of the morning session before the Warriors mounted a fightback in the post-lunch and post-tea sessions.
The visitors took nine wickets in the two sessions.
Swanepoel was outstanding with the ball in hand. The seamer claimed the Warriors' only wicket in the morning session, bagged a brace in the post-lunch period and then another two in the final session to finish with five wickets for 61 runs in 22 overs.
This is his eighth first-class five-wicket haul.
He accounted for the wickets of Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks, Connor Esterhuizen, Bjorn Fortuin and Codi Yusuf.
The 26-year-old also ran out Tshepo Moreki.
Swanepoel dismissed Hendricks after the batter had registered his 52nd first-class half-century in 109 balls as he soldiered on.
The 34-year-old is the Lions' second-highest-ever run-scorer and he showed why with a resolute knock of 89 runs from 200 deliveries.
The Lions chalked a score close to 300 thanks to a second half-century of the innings off Bjorn Fortuin's bat.
The 30-year-old faced 57 deliveries to reach his eighth first-class half-century.
This is the third time Fortuin has reached the 50-run mark in four matches.
In the last two instances that he had done so, Fortuin had gone on to score a century.
However, unfortunately for the Lions, the lower-order batter could not convert the half-ton to three figures. He was dismissed two balls after registering the milestone.
Patrick Kruger, CJ King and Duanne Olivier were the other wicket-takers for the Warriors. They bagged a single wicket each.
DP WORLD LIONS: Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Muhammad Manack, Zubayr Hamza, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Tshepo Moreki, Lutho Sipamla, Kwena Maphaka.
DAFABET WARRIORS: Jordan Hermann, Diego Rosier, Matthew Breetzke (capt), Matthew de Villiers, Sinethemba Qeshile (wk), Patrick Kruger, Andile Mogakane, Beyers Swanepoel, Christopher King, Duanne Olivier, Siya Plaatjie.
ROELOFSEN SCORES CAREER-BEST AS BOLAND TAKE CONTROL
Grant Roelofsen and Gavin Kaplan scored masterful centuries as they helped Goldrush Boland reach 427-2 on day one of their CSA 4-Day Series match against the Renault Potchefstroom North West Dragons at the JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom, on Thursday.
Boland, who won the toss and elected to bat first, made the best use of the conditions as they batted to a mammoth total.
At stumps, Boland had Grant Roelofsen (227*) and Aviwe Mgijima (15*) at the crease.
Roelofsen came into the match with a career-best first-class score of 224. The opener has surpassed that score with his unbeaten score.
Roelofsen's defence was impregnable and his attacking shots brilliant as he batted his way to an outstanding double century.
The 28-year-old opener faced 234 deliveries on his way to the milestone.
The former Hollywoodbets Dolphins batter got better the longer he was in the middle.
Roelofsen faced 130 balls to reach his 10th century. He needed only 104 deliveries to go from 100 to 200. This is Roelofsen's second century in back-to-back matches.
Roelofsen shared a sensational 390-run second-wicket partnership with Gavin Kaplan.
The 26-year-old former WSB Western Province batter came into the match with a single century to his name.
However, it wasn't a regular ton. Kaplan registered his maiden ton with an imperious 173 and he showed that the 173 was not a fluke with his score of 166.
Ruan de Swardt was the only wicket-taker for the Dragons on the first day.
The seamer bagged two wickets for 58 runs in 19 overs.
Lesiba Ngoepe bowled a tidy two overs, conceding only five runs.
Wihan Lubbe gave up 82 runs in 18 overs, while Kerwin Mungroo conceded 87 from 19.
RENAULT POTCHEFSTROOM NORTH WEST DRAGONS Janneman Malan, Matthew Kleinveldt, Lesiba Ngoepe, Raynard van Tonder, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Ruan de Swardt, Taheer Isaacs (wk), Caleb Seleka, Kerwin Mungroo, Achille Cloete, Gideon Peters.
GOLDRUSH BOLAND: Grant Roelofsen, Pieter Malan, Gavin Kaplan, Aviwe Mgijima, Clyde Fortuin (capt)(wk), Michael Copeland, Shaun von Berg, Keith Dudgeon, Ayabulela Gqamane, Jevano Baron, Glenton Stuurman.