Day 4: Knights and Dragons share spoils

The Knights and the Renault Potchefstroom North West Dragons shared the spoils after their CSA 4-Day Series match at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein was declared a draw on Sunday.

This is the Dragons' second draw in two matches, and a first draw for the Knights, who won their encounter against Boland last week.

The two captains, Dane Piedt and Wihan Lubbe, shook hands just before tea.

The two sides stopped play just before lunch due to bad light and the conditions did not improve.

The Dragons, who won the toss and elected to bat first, put up a first-innings score of 232/9d.

The effort was powered by half-centuries from Rubin Hermann and Ruan de Swardt in an innings where the rest of the Dragons' batting line-up faltered.

Most of the top order barely got going and the visitors reached the total thanks to another display of good lower-order batting from Kerwin Mungroo for the second week in a row.

The pacer is now making a habit of being part of match-saving partnerships down the order. He did the same when the Dragons played against the Warriors.

The Knights' bowling attack worked well as a unit, taking wickets at regular intervals.

Johan van Dyk, Matthew Pollard and Malusi Siboto all took a brace of wickets in the innings, while Dane Piedt bagged a single wicket.

The Knights' batting line-up was no better. Ten of their 11 batters scored below the 40-run mark.

The highest scorer among them was Aaron Phangiso, who scored a crucial 38. This is the second week running that the 40-year-old has performed well with the bat.

SENOKWANE DOUBLE TON

However, the star of the Knights' innings was Lesego Senokwane.

The opener scored an imperious double hundred as he lifted the Knights to a first-innings score of 350.

The 27-year-old scored 205 off 264 deliveries, as he singlehandedly fought to put his side in a strong position.

His score accounted for 58.6 per cent of Knights' total.

He faced 260 balls to reach the milestone, which he did in style.

Senokwane smashed a booming six to reach 200 runs. The Knights opener was more attacking after he passed the 100-run mark.

He faced 193 deliveries to get to his century and faced only 67 balls to go from 100 to 200.

Senokwane was part of three crucial partnerships for the Knights, an 86-run seventh-wicket partnership with Aaron Phangiso and 130-run ninth-wicket stand with Malusi Siboto.

Migael Pretorius was the pick of the bowlers for the Dragons.

The 29-year-old registered his ninth first-class four-wicket haul, finishing the innings with four wickets for 85 runs in 26 overs.

Kerwin Mungroo bowled well for his three wickets for 83 runs 19.5 overs.

VAN TONDER AND LUBBE STAND TALL FOR DRAGONS

The Dragons' top three served more of the same in the second innings.

Matthew Kleinveldt, Rubin Hermann and Lesiba Ngoepe contributed a combined 46 runs.

The visitors needed someone who could bat deep to give them a shot at avoiding defeat. They got that in Raynard van Tonder (84*) and Wihan Lubbe (82*).

Van Tonder, who finished day three unbeaten on 31, had little trouble finding his groove on the fourth morning.

The 26-year-old looked assured as he worked his way to a 20th first-class half-century in 102 balls.

He shared an unbroken 158-run partnership with Lubbe.

Like Van Tonder, Lubbe also reached a milestone in the morning session.

The 32-year-old faced 108 deliveries on his way to a 13th first-class half-century. Both were at the crease when bad light stopped play.

KNIGHTS: Isaac Dikgale, Lesego Senokwane, Garnett Tarr, Dian Forrester, Gihahn Cloete (wk), Patrick Botha, Matthew Pollard, Aaron Phangiso, Dane Piedt (capt), Malusi Siboto, Johannes van Dyk.

DRAGONS: Matthew Kleinveldt, Rubin Hermann, Lesiba Ngoepe, Raynard van Tonder, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Ruan de Swardt, Meeka-eel Prince (wk), Migael Pretorius, Kerwin Mungroo, Achille Cloete, Odirile Modimokoane