An imperious, attacking, unbeaten double ton from Khaya Zondo has propped up the visitors well, with a whopping 489 on the board.
Jason Smith played second fiddle for most of the partnership, and he too reached triple digits. Zondo and Smith added 211 runs between them, with flashes of aggression amid solid strokeplay.
After the declaration, the Dolphins got to work with the ball. Four bowlers have each taken a wicket, and the home team is under the pump. David Bedingham smashed an enterprising 62 from 75 but his side is four down with less than a quarter of the Dolphins’ total.
Dolphins 489/8d (Zondo 203*, Smith 101 – Simmonds 4/146
WP 101/4 (Bedingham 62)
KZN Inland v Easterns:
Inclement weather ruled out any possibility of play on Day 2.
KZN Inland 327/4 in 85 overs (Schlemmer 153, Mokgakane 98)
Lions v North West:
The Lions have extended their commanding position after taking three early North West wickets on Day 2.
Ryan Rickelton was undoubtedly at the center of attention – his classy 159 (with 22 boundaries) kept his side solidly ticking and laid down the perfect platform. In addition, lower order resistance from Sisanda Magala and Malusi Siboto, who scored a handy half-century, pushed the Lions past the 400 threshold.
Duanne Olivier hit the ground running with the ball after the Lions were all out for 408. He dismissed the dangerous Wesley Marshall for a cameo 23 and his opening partner Lesego Senokwane. Lutho Sipamla joined the party with the wicket of Shaylen Pillay. North West are staring down a potential innings defeat and will need to bat for as long as they can tomorrow.
NW 159 + 50/3
Lions 408 (Rickelton 159, Siboto 52 – Muthusamy 4/61)
Knights v Boland:
The Knights were bowled out for 320, with skipper Pite van Biljon starring with an excellent 137. Erstwhile Proteas quick Hardus Viljoen was the pick of the bowlers – he took four wickets.
Knights 320 (van Biljon 137 – Viljoen 4/62)
Boland 2/0
Titans v Warriors:
After a torrid first innings, the Warriors are making a statement with a defiant comeback in the second innings. They were trailing by 124, but a resolute, unbroken partnership between Sibonelo Makhanya and Jordan Hermann have injected confidence for the home team.
Eddie Moore (110) and Diego Rosier (85) stole the limelight for the visitors, while six wickets shared between Corbin Bosch and Simon Harmer helped pull things back towards the end of the Warriors innings.
The Titans will look to pile on the runs to set up a sizeable lead to produce an enthralling fourth innings defense.
Titans 134 + 218/4 (Makhanya 64, Hermann 56 – Nabe 2/37)
Warriors 258 (Moore 110, Rosier 85 – Bosch 3/46, Harmer 3/62)
Border v Limpopo:
A tremendous 146 from Marco Marais set up a determined start to the game, and five quick Limpopo wickets was the icing on the cake.
He may be better known for his white ball prowess, but Marais has shown his adaptability to all formats and adjusting his scoring pace according to the situation. He made the most of the opportunity presented, and it’s proven to be a game changer in more ways than one.
Thamsanqa Rapelego was the pick of the Limpopo bowlers, taking 4 wickets in a difficult encounter.
Left-arm wrist spinner Thomas Kaber created ripples right from the outset, taking four of the five wickets that have fallen. It’s been a struggle for the Limpopo side, who had a largely forgettable T20 cup not too long ago. They will be eyeing redemption tomorrow and will plan on fighting tooth and nail to create a competitive contest.
Border 392 (Marais 146 – Rapelego 4/55)
Limpopo 91/5 (Kaestner 23 – Kaber 4/22)
