DAY 2: Lions dominate, Knights and Dragons fight back

LIONS MAINTAIN CONTROL AT CLOSE OF PLAY ON DAY TWO

The DP World Lions were on 218/8 at the close of play on the second day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against the Dafabet Warriors at the DP World Wanderers on Friday.

The Lions lead the Warriors by 411 runs with two wickets in hand. The home side won the toss, elected to bat first and registered a first-innings total of 291. Their bowling line-up was on fire as it bundled out the Warriors for 94 on day two. They had Tshepo Moreki (1*) and Lutho Sipamla (6*) at the crease at stumps.

None of the home side's batters reached a milestone in the second innings, though a couple came close. Joshua Richards looked in control of his innings until the moment he fell for 44 off 90 balls. The opener had shared a 64-run second wicket partnership with Muhammad Manack when he was sent packing.

Manack, who is playing in his third first-class match narrowly missed out on a second half-ton. He played well for his 71-ball 49. After the 22-year-old's dismissal, no other Lions batter reached the 30-run run mark. The home side lost eight wickets in two sessions of play on day two.

CJ King and Siya Plaatjie were the authors of that collapse. King finished the day with three wickets for 37 runs in 12 overs. Plaatjie also bagged three wickets, but he conceded 70 runs in 16 overs.

The Lions' effort with the bat on day two was better than the Warriors'. The visitors lost 10 wickets in a single session, thanks to some outstanding bowling from the home side's bowling attack. Kwena Maphaka and Codi Yusuf took four wickets in the first four overs of play on the second morning. The collapse they orchestrated left the Warriors reeling and they never recovered. They were all out at lunch.

Tshepo Moreki, who came in and swept the tail, was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 37 runs in 6.3 overs. Maphaka also bagged three wickets and conceded 24 runs in seven overs. Yusuf finished with two wickets for 11 runs in five overs.

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.

SNYMAN AND SENOKWANE LEAD KNIGHTS' FIGHTBACK

Jacques Snyman and Lesego Senokwane chalked half-centuries as they helped the Knights reach 157/2 at stumps on the second day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at the Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein, on Friday.

The Knights trail the Dolphins by 413 runs with eight wickets in hand. They are replying to the visitors' mammoth first-innings total of 570/9d. The home side had Lesego Senokwane (65*) at the crease at the close of play.

Senokwane and Snyman constructed an impressive 137-run opening partnership that laid a firm foundation for the Knights. Snyman carved an impressive 81 off 96 deliveries. The 30-year-old was going at a brisk pace for most of his innings. Snyman faced 48 balls to register his 14th first-class half-century. However, the opener tried to take a tight single and was run-out by Prenelan Subrayen off his own bowling.

Senokwane reached his half-century shortly after Snyman's dismissal. The 27-year-old faced 87 balls to reach his seventh first-class half-ton. Senokwane adopted a more measured approach as the day wore on. Senokwane's second partnership was a brief 20-run second-wicket partnership with Gihahn Cloete. Time was called immediately following Cloete's dismissal.

Okuhle Cele was the pick of the bowlers for the Dolphins with a single wicket for 38 runs in 8.3 overs. Andile Simelane was frugal in his spell, conceding 12 runs in six overs.

Earlier in the day, Bryce Parsons chalked his third first-class century. The 23-year-old became the Dolphins' third centurion in the innings, a wonderful 118 off 197 deliveries. Romashan Pillay and Andile Simelane also reached milestones. The duo scored half-centuries. Pillay's 81 was a new career-best for the 19-year-old, who now has two half-centuries to his name. Simelane's unbeaten 50 off balls is his maiden first-class half-century.

The Knights had three wicket-takers who bagged a brace each. Malusi Siboto finished with two wickets for 58, Aaron Phangiso bagged two for 55 and Dian Forrester took two for 75.

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.

KLEINVELDT LEADS THE CHARGE AS DRAGONS RETURN FIRE

Matthew Kleinveldt scored a brilliant century as he helped the Renault Potchefstroom North West Dragons reach 223/1 at stumps on the second day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against Goldrush Boland at the JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom, on Friday.

The Dragons trail Boland by 371 runs with nine wickets in hand. The hosts are replying to the visitors' first innings score of 594/6d. The Dragons had Matthew Kleinveldt (121*) and Lesiba Ngoepe (45*) at the crease at the close of play.

Kleinveldt began his innings with a firm 116-run opening stand with Janneman Malan. The duo shared the crease for just under 33 overs as they built a solid platform for the Dragons. Their partnership was broken when Malan played a tame shot to an Aya Gqamane delivery. The Boland pacer had the presence of mind to execute the catch in his follow-through.

It was during this opening stand that Kleinveldt reached the 50-run mark. It took him 69 deliveries to get there. The 36-year-old maintained the same tempo as he worked his way to his 17th first-class century. He faced 77 deliveries to go from 50 to 100, for a total of 146 balls to reach the milestone.

Kleinveldt was in his second partnership of the innings when he registered his ton. Lesiba was largely untroubled as he cantered along at close to a run-a-ball for most of his innings. The pair's partnership was worth 107 runs at stumps.

Aya Gqamane was the pick of the bowlers for Boland with a single wicket for 35 runs in eight overs. Glenton Stuurman was miserly, conceding 20 runs in nine overs for an economy rate of 2.23. Shaun von Berg also bowled tight lines and had an economy of 2.94. The spinner conceded 47 runs in 16 overs.

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.