Knights afloat – all thanks to Coetzee

Ken Borland

Young Gerald Coetzee intermingled solid defence with some enterprising hitting as he kept the Knights afloat on the third day of their 4-Day Domestic Series match against the Highveld Lions in Kimberley yesterday.

The 19-year-old Coetzee has already impressed with the ball in this season’s franchise first-class competition, taking 11 wickets in his first two matches and two more in the Lions’ first innings.

But yesterday he showed his ability with the bat as his 48 not out off 76 balls, with six fours and two sixes, allowed the Knights to avoid the follow-on and lifted them to 325 all out.

Knights captain Pite van Biljon battled hard in the morning for his 48 as the Knights resumed on 163 for three, and had support from Shaun von Berg (34), but in the face of the massive Lions’ first innings of 468 for four declared, the home side were always in damage control mode.

Coetzee gave them a chance of salvaging a draw and the fast bowler then struck with the second delivery of the Lions second innings, when he had Josh Richards caught behind for a duck.

But with a first-innings lead of 143, the Lions were still sitting pretty at stumps on 89 for three, already 232 ahead. Dominic Hendricks is 33 not out and Rassie van der Dussen is unbeaten on 26.

The game in Pietermaritzburg between the Dolphins and the Cape Cobras seems destined for a draw as the visitors finished the penultimate day having drawn level with the KwaZulu-Natalians’ first-innings score on 325 for three.

Janneman Malan, with a determined 118, and Matthew Kleinveldt, with a tremendously stubborn 137 not out, were the heroes of the third day at The Oval.

Titans captain Grant Thomson was the star of the day in Port Elizabeth as his maiden franchise century lifted his team into a position of near-parity with the Warriors.

Replying to the impressive Warriors total of 364 for nine declared, the Titans slipped to 168 for five as the brilliant Andrew Birch (20-5-71-3) claimed the key wicket of Farhaan Behardien (39) .

But international star Chris Morris scored 46 and helped Thomson add 115 for the sixth wicket, before also being trapped lbw by Birch.

Thomson went on to score a tenacious 101, and with Matthew Arnold making 33, the Titans managed to get to 343 all out.

Left-arm spinner Jon-Jon Smuts was the other Warriors bowler to shine with four for 44 in 24.4 overs.

The Warriors then built on their 21-run lead in sparkling fashion as Ed Moore (55) and Matthew Breetzke (68*) put on 118 for the first wicket in just 141 minutes.