Rain had the final say on day one of the CSA 4-Day Series match between the Momentum Multiply Titans and Goldrush Boland as the visitors reached the close of play on 156-5 at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday afternoon.
Boland were unable to add to the total they were on when bad light forced an early tea, with the rain arriving and making sure the players couldn’t return over the rest of the day.
With poor weather scheduled over the next three days of play, it is set to be a frustrating stop-start affair and both teams will be going all out to utilise the time they get to force a result.
If play is able to resume in the morning on Friday’s second day, the visitors will resume with opener Pieter Malan (78*) well placed at the crease and eyeing a century, along with Ethan-John Cunningham (18*) and they will be eager to build on their unbeaten 25-run sixth- wicket stand.
Earlier in the day Boland got off to a strong start, reaching the lunch break in a solid position on 80-0, but the second session belonged to the Titans as they struck straight after the resumption and were then on top for the majority of the of it, before bad light chased the players off.
In the post lunch session debutant Janco Smit made the breakthrough, having Grant Roelofsen (44) caught by Dayyaan Galiem, before bowling Gavin Kaplan for a second-ball duck two balls later to reduce Boland to 80-2.
Aviwe Mgijima struggled in scoring just one off 26 balls, before he edged Junior Dala behind to keeper Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who took a good diving catch, while captain Clyde Reeves-Fortuin followed in Dala’s next over, caught for a six-ball duck by Rivaldo Moonsamy, as they slipped to 100-4.
Ferisco Adams (12) finally gave Malan, who had reached a solid half century, some support as they combined for a 31-run partnership, before Adams was caught by Sibonelo Makhanya off the bowling of captain Neil Brand, bringing Cunningham to the crease.
In the morning session the start of play was delayed by a wet outfield for 50 minutes, before Boland won the toss and chose to bat, getting off to a good start.
It was a slow start to the innings as openers Malan and Roelofsen were initially watchful, but eventually grew into their partnership and kicked on positively to the lunch break, particularly Roelofsen as he struck 10 boundaries in his 62-ball innings during the session.
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Neil Brand (capt), Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Sibonelo Makhanya, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dayyaan Galiem, Junior Dala, Janco Smit, Lesego Kokohlabana
GOLDRUSH BOLAND: Pieter Malan, Grant Roelofsen, Gavin Kaplan, Aviwe Mgijima, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin (capt, wk), Ferisco Adams, Ethan-John Cunningham, Shaun von Berg, Aya Gqamane, Glenton Stuurman, Akhona Mnyaka