Puttick and Malan unfazed by chase

AN unbeaten opening partnership of 124 between veteran Andrew Puttick and Pieter Malan, ensured the Cape Cobras made significant inroads into the Titans’ massive first innings total on day two of the Sunfoil Series match in Paarl.

The visitors had declared their first innings on 435/9, with Farhaan Behardien backing up Andrea Agathangelou’s first day century with one of his own on Friday, the ninth of his first class career. It’s left the hosts trailing by 311 runs going into day three, and the Titans in particular, will be hoping the pitch does start to show signs of breaking up, especially as they’ve picked two spinners in their starting line-up.

However neither Tabraiz Shamsi nor Shaun von Berg, currently the second highest wicket-taker in the competition, could make a breakthrough Friday, as Puttick and Malan patiently set about decreasing the Titans’s lead. At stumps,Puttick was 71 not out and Malan was on 49.

Much like the Titans on the first day, scoring was hard, with the run rate hovering around 2.5 an over during the Cobras innings. It will impact on both team’s ability to pick up crucial bonus points – so far the Cobras have got just the two points for bowling, while the Titans picked up 3.82 for batting.

At the Wanderers, a former resident in these parts, Dane Vilas scored a sprightly century as the Dolphins took control of their match against the embattled Lions.

Vilas made 128 off just 152 balls, as the Dolphins ended day two on 318 /7 a lead of 72 runs. Most importantly for the Dolphins, who came into this match with only an outside chance of challenging for the title, they may be able to put themselves more firmly in the mix, especially if they can add to their already impressive bonus point haul of 8.36 (4 for bowling and 4.36 for batting). Of course they’ll need to add the 16 points for an outright victory to that figure, but they are certainly well placed in that regard.

The Lions added just 39 runs when they resumed in the morning to be bowled out for 246. Mangaliso Mosehle led a lower order fightback scoring 42, while the was good support from Sean Jamison who finished not out on 22 and even Beuran Hendricks, who was last man out on 10, but spent 43 minutes at the crease.

Eathan Bosch and young Okuhle Cele claimed three wickets each.

The Dolphins lost Sarel Erwee in the first over of their reply when he edged a full swinging delivery from Beuran Hendricks to Rassie van der Dussen at first slip. The Lions bowlers sought to stick to that fuller length, but missed the mark far too often allowing Vilas, somewhat surprisingly elevated to opener and Vaughn van Jaarsveld to get their side off to a flier, despite the early loss of Erwee’s wicket. The pair scored at more than six runs an over during their second wicket partnership 89, hitting a series of thumping drives through the covers and mid-off regions.

Van Jaarsveld fell for 42 (31b, 7x4) to the fifth ball bowled by left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso – brought into the attack in the 13th over – but such was the momentum that he and Vilas provided, the Dolphins scoring rate didn’t drop below four an over for the remainder of the day.

Vilas was in excellent form, playing a wonderfully controlled innings to give his side the ascendency. His driving was pure, and his back foot play through both off and leg side typically powerful. His scoring did slow down in the second half of his innings, but it was nevertheless a dominant performance that saw him notch up the 16th century of his first class career.

He shared a measured partnership of 150 for the third wicket with Senuran Muthusamy, who made 69, in just over four hours at the crease, striking eight fours.

Colin Savage 46* and Prenelan Subrayen 0* will resume today.

No play was possible in East London, where the Warriors were 77/2 after bowling the Knights out for 188 on Thursday. – Cricket Reporter