Harmer’s spin does the trick
Warriors now aim for batting bonus point over Knights
SOME magnificent spin bowling by international Simon Harmer and aggressive batting by the Warriors’ openers, were highlights of the first day of the fourday Sunfoil Series match between the Warriors and the visiting VKB Knights played at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday.
At stumps the Warriors had scored 77 for two wickets in reply to the Knights’ paltry first innings of 188, which ended virtually on the stroke of the tea interval.
Gihahn Cloete was on 34 not out, while Yaseen Vallie will resume this morning on four not out.
Earlier Eddie Moore had scored an attacking 35 and he and Cloete added 67 in double-quick time to set a fine foundation for the Warriors.
The home team skipper Jon-Jon Smuts won the toss and decided to field first and within 90 minutes the visitors had lost the cream of their batting lineup, with six out of their top seven batsmen back in the pavilion for only 41 as the Warriors seamers, headed by Anrich Nortje and Tladi Bokako, attacked relentlessly. Later Harmer joined them after 11 overs and grabbed a wicket in his first over.
The victim was Rudi Second, who has in the past made plenty of runs at Buffalo Park. But, this time, he stepped out confidently to Harmer to drive but only succeeded in ballooning up a catch to mid-on, where he was well caught by Sisanda Magala who had to stretch high.
By then the innings was in tatters at 29 for four wickets, after Anrich had trapped Luthando Mnyanda lbw for four, and Grant Mokoena had mistimed a hook to be caught at midwicket for two. Bokako had trapped Keagan Petersen in front for a single.
Thereafter the rest of the morning session belonged to Harmer as he closed up one end and grabbed another valuable wicket when he had left-hander, South African ODI specialist David Miller, caught in the slips for 15.
When Magala dismissed the vastly experienced Werner Coetsee for a duck, Buffalo Park looked like a jousting competition from the history pages with around.
But after some stout resistance from allrounder Ryan McLaren and Patrick Kruger, the Knights limped to lunch at 75 for six.
McLaren, who has represented SA in one-day matches, and Kruger continued after lunch and eventually added 68 for the seventh wicket before the steady Kruger – fresh after scoring his maiden first-class century against the Lions two weeks ago – gave a catch off Bokako, and was caught by Magala for a neat 44 made off 85 balls with six fours and a six.
Test bowler Duanne Olivier then batted soundly with McLaren and added 69 valuable runs for the eighth wicket, when McLaren became Harmer’s third victim. He made 73 (10x4, 1x6) and faced 98 balls.
Harmer wrapped up the innings, snapping up number 10 and 11, Ottniel Baartman (three), and Tshepo Ntuli two balls later for a duck. His brilliant figures were 5/36 off 19.4 overs. Mnyanda, a former Border player, was playing in his 100th firstclass match, but there was little for him to celebrate.
The match continues this morning at 10am, with the Warriors looking for bonus batting points and a big lead on the first innings. fallen Knights all