DAY 4: Boland and Lions share spoils in rain-affected match
Goldrush Boland and the DP World Lions were forced to share the spoils in their rain-affected CSA 4-Day Series match at Boland Park on Sunday.
The two sides had limited play time at their disposal and only batted a single innings each.
MATCH RESULT⚪️🟡
— DP World Lions (@LionsCricketSA) March 23, 2025
The game is called, after too many days of play were lost due to bad weather.
🌳Goldrush Boland posted 229/10 (1st Innings)
🦁DP World Lions end on 259/10 (1st Innings)
We make the trip back home to Jozi, for our next fixture at the DP World Wanderers… pic.twitter.com/fLk6rpiO2t
The hosts won the toss, elected to bat first and were powered by Clyde Reeves-Fortuin's half-century to 229.
The visitors' batting effort was repeatedly interrupted by rain before Zubayr Hamza scored a half-century to help them reach 259.
Reeves-Fortuin's half-century was a welcome knock after the Boland top order had flirted with success only to fail to kick on.
Pieter Malan scored 45 off 100 balls, Grant Roelofsen added 21 off 37 and Gavin Kaplan managed 31 from 50.
Reeves-Fortuin arrived at the crease in the midst of a Boland collapse instigated by Fortuin.
The hosts lost four wickets for 27 runs in 11.3 overs. All four fell to the spinner.
Reeves-Fortuin stabilised the innings with a 50-run sixth-wicket partnership with Shaun von Berg.
That was Boland's second-highest stand after Malan and Kaplan's 55-run second-wicket partnership.
Reeves-Fortuin reached his 19th First-Class half-century in Von Berg's company.
He faced 117 balls to reach the milestone. He scored a valiant 61 off 154.
FORTUIN BAMBOOZLES HOSTS
Boland's progress was hampered by Fortuin's brilliant bowling.
The left-arm spinner spun a web around the hosts on his way to an eighth First-Class five-wicket haul.
Fortuin finished the match with six wickets for 83 runs in 35.3 overs.
He came into the encounter with 194 FC wickets to his name and the six scalps took the tally to 200.
Boland Park's surface was helpful to spinners.
Unsurprisingly, the Lions' two other tweakers, Junaid Dawood and Nqaba Peter were the only other wicket-takers in the innings.
Peter finished with two wickets for 38 runs in 14 overs, while Dawood took two wickets for 41 runs in 10 overs.
The Lions were on 33-1 when Hamza arrived at the crease.
They needed him to play a smart innings to deny the hosts any hope of victory.
The 29-year-old answered affirmatively with a well-played 83 from 109 balls.
This is his 34th First-Class half-century. He faced 77 deliveries to reach the milestone.
Hamza was also the main contributor to the four partnerships he was a part of.
He walked out the middle after the dismissal of their captain, Dominic Hendricks and weathered the storm with a 56-run second-wicket partnership with Joshua Richards that collapsed in the post-lunch period.
Hamza followed it up with a 53-run third-wicket stand with Mitch van Buuren, then he joined forces with Connor Esterhuizen for a brief 22-run fourth-wicket partnership.
His stand with Esterhuizen was succeeded by an even briefer six-run partnership with Wandile Makwetu.
Shaun von Berg was the most successful bowler for Boland with four wickets for 82 runs in 25.4 overs.
This is the 24th four-wicket haul for the 38-year-old spinner.
Glenton Stuurman supported him with a brace of wickets, while Keith Dudgeon, Siya Mahima, Aphiwe Mnyaka and Aviwe Mgijima took a wicket each.
BOLAND: Grant Roelofsen, Pieter Malan, Gavin Kaplan, Aviwe Mgijima, Michael Copeland, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin (wk)(capt), Shaun von Berg, Keith Dudgeon, Glenton Stuurman, Siya Mahima, Aphiwe Mnyaka
LIONS: Joshua Richards, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Zubayr Hamza, Mitch van Buuren, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Wandile Makwetu, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Lutho Sipamla, Nqaba Peter, Junaid Dawood
