Impressive Lions make Titans toil

No neighbourly love lost as Deeb, Pretorius skin hosts

DALE Deeb and Dwaine Pretorius contributed half-centuries to help the Highveld Lions to a hefty first-innings total on a rainhit second day of their Sunfoil Series match against The Titans at Willowmoore Park in Benoni yesterday.

Deeb and Pretorius put on 137 for the seventh wicket to help the Lions extend their innings to 485/7 declared, before the Titans reached 27 without loss in reply.

While the size of the total was impressive, the speed at which the runs were scored was equally handy, with a run rate of 3.75 for the innings ensuring the game was moved along despite just 64 overs being bowled on the day.

The Lions resumed on 264/2 and over night batsmen Stephen Cook and Neil McKenzie extended their partnership to 82 before the second new ball helped Juan de Villiers to trap McKenzie lbw for 47.

In his first game for the Titans since November, De Villiers (3/75) struck twice in two balls in his next over to remove Goolam Bodi and Thami Tsolekile, before Rowan Richards (3/118) had Cook caught behind for 122.

With that the Lions had lost four wickets for two runs in 14 balls, but Deeb and Pretorius saw them through the rest of a tricky period before building a productive partnership.

The pair took the Lions to lunch on 396/6 and then through to a lengthy rain delay, which arrived moments after both batsmen had reached 50.

Pretorius scored his 67 from just 107 balls before he was bowled by Roelof van der Merwe, while Deeb went on to finish unbeaten on 89 when Cook declared the innings to give his bowlers six overs at the Titans.

Playing his first game of the season for the Titans, Jacques Rudolph made a positive start as he stroked an unbeaten 18 from just 22 balls, while his opening partner, Heino Kuhn, went to stumps on seven not out.

The Warriors came storming back into contention as they picked up seven wickets in the 44 overs that were possible on a rain-affected second day of their clash against the Cape Cobras at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.

Just 3.3 overs were played at the start of the day before the rain pelted down to cause a significant delay. But when the game resumed, the Warriors struck swiftly and made it their day as they left the Cobras 137/7 in response to the 203 posted by the home side on day one.

Cody Chetty hit an unbeaten century to guide the Dolphins to a big total before their inexperienced bowling attack struck four times to leave the Knights in trouble after day two of their match at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.

Chetty scored 101 not out and was well supported by the lower order as the Dolphins racked up 452 all out to put significant scoreboard pressure on the home side.

Equally impressive, though, was the ability of an attack with an average age of less than 23 to reduce the Knights to 128/4 in reply, leaving the hosts trailing by 324 runs and in need of a big knock on day three.

The Dolphins’ dominance came despite Patrick Botha’s remarkable perfor mance, which saw the off-spinner claim career-best figures of 7/89 in 28.5 overs.

Chetty began the day unbeaten on 11 and extended his partnership with Khaya Zondo (51) to 97 before the latter was dismissed by Botha, who took five of the six Knights wickets that fell on the day.

The problem for the Knights was that all but one of the Dolphins bottom five reached double figures, drawing the innings out and helping Chetty to three figures. He achieved the landmark in 203 deliveries (9x4, 1x6) before Botha snaffled the last two wickets in the space of six deliveries.

Bolstered by their big total but also the absence of several key players in a remodelled Knights top four, the Dolphins attack of Daryn Dupavillon, Graham Hume, Matthew Pillans and Keshav Maharaj successfully chipped away at the home side.

Although Gerhardt Abrahams and Lefa Mosena put on 61 for the first wicket, Hume had the former caught behind for 34 and Pillans dismissed Mosena for 46.

Dupavillon then created a double blow as he found the edge of Diego Rosier’s bat to have him caught for 20 and then bowled nightwatchman Malusi Siboto first ball.

Pite van Biljon stood firm to reach stumps on 21, while Obus Pienaar was unbeaten on four.