We wrap the final day of Round 6 of the 4-Day series which saw the Titans and Rocks claim the only victories of the round.
Titans v Knights
With another strong bowling display, the Titans have completed a comfortable, domineering innings victory against the Knights at Mangaung Oval.
There were 7 wickets to get today, and a pair of 4-wicket hauls from Junior Dala and Simon Harmer sealed the deal for the Titans within 30 overs
Patrick Kruger fought hard with a sturdy half-century, but his downfall triggered a cascade of middle-order wickets, setting up a straightforward win for the visitors. The Titans have now moved up to third on the Division 1 league table.
Titans 515/9d
Knights 197 + 165 (Kruger 53 – Harmer 4/33, Dala 4/39)
Boland v North West
Scoring the second innings victory of this round, Boland earned themselves a much-needed confidence boost with a crushing win over North West at Paarl.
With two wickets remaining due to Shaylen Pillay’s match-ending injury, Boland ended the game in the first session. Spin continued to dictate play, as Siyabonga Mahima and Shaun von Berg claimed the final dismissals. Mahima, Imran Manack, and von Berg shared 9 of the 10 wickets in what was a clinical outing with the ball.
Then again, the positives for North West were the contributions from the hard-hitting opener Wesley Marshall as well as the potential of Lesego Senokwane, the experience of Senuran Muthusamy, and the developing Duan Jansen.
Boland 485/7d
NW 170+295
WP v Lions
An eventful Day 4 came to an end with honours even, despite a spirited effort from the WP bowlers to surge towards a potential victory.
Bird and Bedingham resumed well from yesterday, and skipper Zubayr Hamza opted to declare right after Bird crossed 150. The target for the Lions was an imposing 366, and they essentially had a full day to bat out.
Tshepo Moreki struck early to send back Dominic Hendricks, and when Kyle Simmonds’ left-arm spin dismissed Reeza Hendricks, it seemed like the home side was confidently starting to race ahead with the game. Fortunately for the Lions, Joshua Richards and Ryan Rickelton resisted well, but the return of Simmonds created yet another flurry of inroads.
When Kagiso Rapulana and Wiaan Mulder were dismissed off consecutive deliveries from Simmonds, it looked like WP would be able to coast towards the endgame without too much difficulty. However, Rickelton showed his Test potential yet again with a determined century and got invaluable support from Bjorn Fortuin. Fortuin and Rickelton added 76 runs between them, but more importantly, they stuck around for nearly 27 overs.
By the time Moreki bowled Fortuin and Beuran Hendricks castled Siboto, it was too late to bag the final three wickets. A dogged performance from the Lions ensured that this cliffhanger of a game would end in a draw, and retain the top spot in the standings.
WP 315 + 337/3d (Bird 152) Lions 287 + 244/7 (Rickelton 102 – Simmonds 4/93)
Warriors v Dolphins
A well-matched contest ended in an expected draw at Durban, but it wasn’t without several standout performances from both sides.
Slade van Staden, the young wicketkeeper-batter, reached his maiden first-class half-century today, and a couple of cameos from Daryn Dupavillon and Kerwin Mungroo helped drive the Dolphins to 451. Despite the long toil for the Warriors, Glenton Stuurman reaped rewards with 5 wickets.
The Warriors had to weather the storm in their second innings, and even though they were dealt a few early blows, they managed to make it through to the end of the day unscathed. A hostile spell from the pace trio of Bosch, Dupavillon, and Baartman kept the Warriors batters on their toes – Bosch and Baartman took two wickets each. But an unbroken, 71-run partnership between Diego Rosier and captain Sinethemba Qeshile ensured a safe finish for the visitors.
Warriors 386 + 137/4 (Qeshile 33* – Baartman 2/18, Bosch 2/31)
Dolphins 451 (Ackerman 96, Erwee 93 – Stuurman 5/97)
