Another Lions batting success
The Kimberley pitch is usually one that forces the bowlers to really bend their backs but, having seen their batsmen rack up 468 for four declared, the Highveld Lions attack put in an admirable effort as they reduced the Knights to 173 for three at stumps on the second day of their 4-Day Domestic Series match yesterday.
Malusi Siboto made the initial strike when he dismissed Grant Mokoena for 20, but Raynard van Tonder and Keegan Petersen were then dominant with the bat as they added 94 for the second wicket in 145 minutes.
It’s not as if the Lions bowlers were getting a pummelling, but the visitors were certainly relieved to get the breakthrough when Siboto trapped Petersen lbw for 36. It was sheer delight when Nono Pongolo then bowled Van Tonder for a determined 81 with the next delivery.
Pite van Biljon (15*) and Patrick Kruger (14*) then batted through to the close of play.
Reeza Hendricks and Nicky van den Bergh piled on the runs for the Lions in the morning session and they took their fifth-wicket partnership to exactly 200 before the punishment ceased for the Knights bowlers with the declaration during the lunch break.
Hendricks finished with a classy 168 not out, featuring 20 elegant boundaries and two sixes, while Van den Bergh also played a great knock to post 116 not out off just 152 deliveries.
In Port Elizabeth, the Titans needed some rescuing as they slipped to 102 for three against the Warriors, and a dogged stand of 38 in 18.4 overs between the experienced duo of Grant Thomson (8*) and Farhaan Behardien (29*) took them to a more solid 140 for three at stumps.
Although the Titans lost opener Bafana Mahlangu (6) to Andrew Birch in the first over, they made a solid start as the dashing Wesley Marshall (66) and Neil Brand (27) added 94 for the second wicket.
But the crafty Jon-Jon Smuts dismissed Brand and then when Marshall fell in the left-arm spinner’s next over, the Titans were struggling.
A top-class batting effort by the Warriors had earlier seen them post 364 for nine declared. Yaseen Vallie and Rudi Second gelled particularly well in the middle-order as they added 169 for the third wicket, before Chris Morris removed both with the second new ball and Dayyaan Galiem then took four wickets to wrap up the tail.
Vallie stroked a wonderful 137 and Second made a tenacious 81.
A rain-affected day in Pietermaritzburg saw just 37 overs of action as the Dolphins went from 234 for four to 325 for nine against the Cape Cobras.
Grant Roelofsen took his maiden franchise century to 133, while it was also a memorable day for Andile Phehlukwayo, who made a career-best 67.