Dashing Duminy, valiant Vilas put Lions to the sword

PAARL: JP Duminy gave the South Africa cricket selectors a timely reminder of his quality by smashing a career-best unbeaten 260 for the Cape Cobras in their Sunfoil Series match against the Highveld Lions here yesterday.

Duminy, dropped for the drawn second Test against England in Cape Town this week, has been retained in the Proteas squad for the third and fourth matches in Joburg and Centurion later this month.

His double-ton off 409 balls came against a Lions team that included uncapped fast bowler Hardus Viljoen, who is also in the Proteas Test squad.

Duminy shared an unbeaten 393-run fifth-wicket stand with wicketkeeper Dane Vilas (216 not out), who was axed from the SA Test side after the recent 3-0 series loss in India.

The third Test starts at The Wanderers on Thursday, with the tourists 1-0 up in the series.

It was a day of records in Paarl as Duminy and Vilas both recorded career-best double centuries during the Cobras’ 570/4 declared.

Their partnership was the best fifth-wicket stand on South African soil, surpassing the 385 put on by Steve Waugh and Greg Blewett for Australia against the Proteas in 1997. Their stand lasted 513 balls and came in 371 minutes.

Duminy batted for nine-anda-half hours and hit 23 fours and two sixes. His knock was also the third-highest individual score in the franchise era and the best by a Cobras player.

The most runs Duminy had previously scored over the years was 200 not out against the Dolphins in 2010/11.

Vilas scored a more attacking 216 off 250 balls, including three sixes and 20 fours, and surpassed his previous best of 203 for the Lions against the Titans in the 2008/09 season.

There could yet be further records as the visitors ended the day on 126 without loss.

Captain Stephen Cook continued his rich run of form with an unbeaten 66, with Rassie van der Dussen keeping him company on 55.

The Lions trailed by 444 runs at the halfway stage of the game.

Attacking half-centuries from Reeza Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw took the Knights to the brink of an upset victory over the log-leading Titans at the Mangaung Oval yesterday.

Chasing a challenging final innings 253, the highest score of the game, the hosts scored at 5.21 runs per over to race to 214/2 at the close, just 39 runs shy of a surprise win.

Rossouw was unbeaten on 72 off 55 deliveries, including 12 fours and a six, while Hendricks earlier provided an assured start with 69 off 88 balls.

Rudi Second (33) was the other not out batsman and his stand with Rossouw stood unbroken on 99.

It was a dramatic tur naround from the opening day when 21 wickets fell, including the Knights being shot out for just 76 – the lowest total in the franchise era at the Bloemfontein venue.

The Titans, who made 141 first time around, started the second day on 20/1 and reached lunch still well placed on 112/4 for an overall lead of 177.

But their last six wickets fell for the addition of only 66 runs.

Duanne Olivier, the star of the first innings with 5/42, followed that up with 3/39, while rookie Mbulelo Budaza bagged 3/26 as the Titans were blown away in 57.1 overs.

Only Qaasim Adams managed any runs with 69.

It was one-way traffic thereafter as the Knights closed in on victory.

There was further frustration for the Dolphins and the Warriors yesterday after the second day of their match was washed out at the Pietermaritzburg Oval.

The toss did take place with the visitors calling correctly and electing to bowl first as the umpires decided on a 2.45pm start time.

But that never happened after bad light intervened, forcing play to be abandoned for the day.