Knights’ duo lead batting charge

AFTER no play was possible in Kimberley on the opening day of the clash between the Dolphins and Knights, the home team finally got up and going after some early trouble from the visiting team from Durban, who elected to bowl first.

It looked as if the day’s delay had not put the travelling Dolphins off as Mthokozisi Shezi struck early with the Knights on 18, while Luthando Mnyanda was caught by Vaughn van Jaarsveld.

Shezi also picked up the other opener, Michael Erlank, for 25.

However, that was the point when the Knights took over as Theunis de Bruyn strode to the crease to steady the ship.

De Bruyn was joined by former Dolphins player David Miller. He, however, did not last long, dismissed by Calvin Savage, and it was left to Rudi Second to become the perfect partner for a rampant De Bruyn.

The number three De Bruyn remains unbeaten overnight on 170, while Second contributed 125 before Andile Phehlukwayo made the breakthrough late on day two.

The Knights closed on 352/4 heading into day three.

Meanwhile, the game at Willowmoore Park in Benoni between the Lions and the Titans seems to be leaning towards the the visitors from South of the Jukskei, who set a first innings total of 347 for the Titans to chase.

But the home team’s top order failed to kick on and the middle order consolidated a little as the day closed with the Titans on 146/4.

Bad light cut the second day short in Gauteng, with the Titans looking to make up another 201 runs to reach the first innings score of their opponents with just six wickets in hand.

The Lions’ batsmen, especially Nicky van den Bergh and Nono Pongolo, will be kicking themselves as they reached 99 and 49* respectively in the first innings.

In the same day, the Cobras kept themselves in the game against the Warriors with a few late wickets as the match is evenly poised at Buffalo Park in East London.

The Warriors, batting on after dismissing the Cobras for 291, reached 175/5 before bad light cut their day short too.

The Cobras were cruising thanks to Colin Ackerman and Yaseen Vallie, but when the former fell for 89, and the man replacing him, Somila Seyibokwe, went out for a duck, the Cobras would have felt that they had stemmed the tide heading into day three with a first innings lead of 116 runs.