Cape Town:
The DP World Lions produced a thoroughly clinical performance to claim a crushing innings and 134 run win over World Sports Betting Western Province with a day to spare in their CSA 4-day series match at WSB Newlands on Saturday.
A career-best batting performance from Connor Esterhuizen, who converted his maiden first class century on day two into a big 175 off 260 (22x4; 5x6), helped his team declare on 552/9, giving them a massive lead of 359 runs.
Another solid all round bowling performance followed, with Kwena Maphaka the pick of the lot claiming 3/26, as Province crumbled for a low score again, this time all out for 225 to fall well short in the end.
Allrounder Evan Jones also played a big part in the Lions win, and he was again prevalent on the day, scoring 76 off 86 (7x4; 3x6) with the bat, and then picking up two wickets with the ball, to go with his four wickets in Province’s first innings.
The day began with Esterhuizen and Jones resuming with the Lions on 393/6, and they batted with authority to take their team over the 500 run mark and extend their seventh wicket partnership 160 runs.
Province spinner Kyle Simmonds, who was the pick of the lot with figures of 3/155, then accounted for both batters within five overs as they slipped to 520/8, with Beyers Swanepoel hitting two fours and a six in his quick 23 off 16 to boost them over the 550 mark.
Province’s second innings featured a number of batters getting starts, but none able to kick on as regular wickets kept them pinned back, eventually seeing them all out.
Jiveshan Pillay top scored with 46 off 83 (3x4; 2x6), and Simmonds cracked a swashbuckling 43 off 27 (7x4; 1x6), while one batter got into the 30s, one into the 20s and four others into double figures.
On the bowling front Maphaka was backed up by Lutho Sipamla, Jones, and Swanepoel who all picked up two scalps each.
Western Province: 193 (Daniel Smith 102, Tshepo Moreki 46; Evan Jones 4/58, Kwena Maphaka 2/32, Beyers Swanepoel, 2/52)
Lions: 552/9 (Connor Esterhuizen 175, Mitchell van Buuren 126, Evan Jones 76, Dominic Hendricks 53; Kyle Simmonds 3/155, Dane Paterson 2/47)
Western Province 225 (Jiveshan Pillay 46, Kyle Simmonds 43; Kwena Maphaka 3/26, Lutho Sipamla 2/21)
Paarl:
A big century from opener Pieter Malan has given Goldrush Boland a real chance heading into the final day against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins, after the visitors reached the close of play on day three on 49/1 in their second innings, needing 214 more runs to win the match.
Malan’s 157 off 308 balls (19x4) spearheaded the hosts recovery second innings of 452 all out, that set the visitors a tricky 263 to win, having to negotiate a tough late afternoon final session, which they did relatively well, as well as what should be an entertaining final day.
Boland resumed in the morning on a solid 199/1, with Malan, who was unbeaten on 95 overnight, soon bringing up a well deserved hundred.
Along with Gavin Kaplan, 67 off 118 (9x4), they batted their team into a great position, as they extended their second wicket stand to 149 runs, before Bryce Parsons made the breakthrough, having Kaplan caught by Eathan Bosch with the score 290/2.
Malan was eventually the fourth wicket to fall, caught behind by keeper Hanu Viljoen off the bowling of Ottniel Baartman, with the score 340/4, and it took a number of cameos to get them to their final total, with Aviwe Mgijima (26), Lehan Botha (26) and Ferisco Adams (22), all out in their 20s.
Bosch, 3/60, was the pick of the bowlers, while Tristan Luus also claimed three wickets, to add to the four he picked up in Boland’s first innings.
Romashan Pillay (16) was the only Dolphins wicket to fall in their second innings so far, with Glenton Stuurman having him caught by Mgijima, while opener Tshepang Dithole (21no) and makeshift nightwatchman Bosch (9no) will resume on the final morning.
Boland: 156 (Lehan Botha 45, Glenton Stuurman 27; Tristan Luus 4/42, Ottniel Baartman 3/19)
Dophins 346 (Tshepang Dithole 116, Khaya Zondo 61; Glenton Stuurman 4/46)
Boland 452 (Pieter Malan 157, Grant Roelofsen 67, Gavin Kaplan 67; Ethan Bosch 3/60, Tristan Luus 3/102)
Dolphins 49/1 (Tshepang Dithole 21no; Glenton Stuurman 1/21)
Potchefstroom:
An action packed day that saw 364 runs scored and 14 wickets fall, ended with the Momentum Multiply Titans on 31/2 in their second innings, needing an unlikely 424 more runs to win the match against the Eastvaal Renault NW Dragons at the JB Marks Oval.
The Dragons are clearly in the driving seat and will be confident of clinching a win, or at worst a draw on Sunday’s final day, as it would take a monumental batting effort from the visitors and disastrous bowling performance from the hosts, to see the men from Pretoria win from this position.
The highlights on the day were 70s from Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Donovan Ferreira, 90s from Lesiba Ngoepe and Wihan Lubbe, and three wickets each from Onke Nyaku and Schalk Engelbrecht.
The Titans started the day on 153/4 in their second innings, with Ferreira and Pretorius resuming their fifth wicket partnership, which they extended to 113 runs, to push their team over the 200 run mark.
Ferreira, 71 off 56 balls (9x4; 2x6), was then first to fall on the day, edging Achille Cloete to keeper Rubin Hermann, and was followed soon after by Dayyaan Galiem (2), bowled by Ruan de Swardt, as they slipped to 217/6.
Pretorius, 70 off 96 (11x4), added 35 with Andile Phehlukwayo (23), but was the seventh wicket to fall, bowled by Nyaku, and sparked a crash as their final four wickets fell for just 10 runs.
The Dragons second innings was a quickfire one as they eventually declared on 225/6 in the 45th over.
Ngoepe at the top of the order was desperately unlucky to miss out on a century, with him bowled by Engelbrecht on 99 off 124 (12x4), while Lubbe was bowled by Ferreira for a run-a-ball 91 (11x4; 3x6), with their 160-run third wicket partnership producing the lions share of their runs.
The Titans then had to negotiate a tricky few overs at the end of the day and lost both openers, Lesego Senokwane (3) caught by Raynard van Tonder off De Swardt, and Jorich van Schalkwyk (9) trapped LBW by Nyaku, as they crashed to 13/2.
Keegan Petersen (5no) and Sibonelo Makhanya (13no) will now resumed on the final morning and try help them save the match.
Dragons: 491/8 declared (Meeka-Eel Prince 142, Dian Forrester 94, Wihan Lubbe 75, Rubin Hermann 69; Schalk Engelbracht 4/179, Donovan Ferreira 2/101)
Titans: 262 (Donovan Ferreira 71, Lhuan-dre Pretorius 70; Onke Nyaku 3/40, Wihan Lubbe 2/23, Alfred Mothoa 2/58)
Dragons: 225/6 (Lesiba Ngoepe 99, Wihan Lubbe 91; Schalk Engelbrecht 3/63, Gerald Coetzee 2/26)
Titans: 31/2 (Sibonelo Makhanya (13no); Ruan de Swardt 1/5, Onke Nyaku 1/6)
Pietermaritzburg:
The weather affected encounter between the Mootheeram Tuskers and the Dafabet Warriors remained firmly in the balance as the visitors reached stumps on day three on 157/3 in their second innings, holding a 112 run lead over the hosts.
The first two days only saw 92 overs of play possible due to bad light and rain, but day three was able to see a full complement of overs bowled which set up a possible result going into the final day.
Five-wicket haul for Matthew Boast and four wickets for Kerwin Mungroo were the highlights for the visiting bowlers, while Cameron Shekleton hit an important half century for the Tuskers, before the Warriors batters hit back with half centuries to Muhammad Manack and Matthew Breetzke.
The Tuskers resumed their second innings in the morning on 108/6 and were grateful to Shekleton, 59no off 157 balls (5x4) and Ntando Zuma, 21 off 57 (2x4), as they extended their seventh wicket stand to 52 runs, which crucially pushed them past the Warriors first innings total.
It was then the Mungroo and Boast show as they picked up two wickets each to bowl the Tuskers out for 185, with Shekleton batting through with the tail, including adding a potentially important 25 runs with last man Ziyaad Abrahams (11).
The Warriors second innings got off to a poor start, with Modiri Litheko (2) run out, and Jordan Hermann (15) bowled by Sean Gilson, which left them in trouble on 20/2.
But two top partnerships then followed, of 89 between Manack, 59 off 142 (8x4) and Breetzke, 50no off 155 (5x4), and an unbeaten 47 between Breetzke and Matthew de Villiers, 30no off 72 (3x4), which brought them right back into the game and gave them a decent lead to take into day four.
If the weather continues to play its part, both teams will have a chance of winnings on the final day, but will need a blinding performance from someone to pull it off.
Warriors: 140 (Thomas Kaber 50no, Aphiwe Mnyanda 37; Daryn Dupavillion 4/28, Hardus Viljoen 3/25)
Tuskers: 185 (Cameron Shekleton 59no; Matthew Boast 5/52, Kerwin Mungroo 4/43)
Warriors 157/3 (Muhammad Manack 59, Matthew Breetzke 50no; Hardus Viljoen 1/21)