Paterson puts hand up for SA selection

Cape Cobras paceman Dane Paterson produced just the sort of performance to ink his way into the national selectors’ notebooks as he led his team to a four-wicket victory over the Knights in their Domestic Franchise Four-Day Series match at Newlands yesterday.

The match had “draw” written all over it as the Knights began the final day on 240/3, a lead of 99 runs with seven wickets still in hand.

But Paterson, armed with the second new ball, claimed four quick wickets as the visitors lost their last seven wickets for just 94 runs. His figures yesterday were 9-3-22-4.

The 29-year-old, who has played three ODIs and seven T20 internationals for South Africa, but is also on the fringes of the Test side, finished with 4/68 as he had Knights captain Pite van Biljon, the Cobras’ main stumbling block yesterday morning, caught at square-leg for 57.

That left the Cobras with a target of 194 for victory, and half-centuries by Zubayr Hamza (57) and Kyle Verreynne (51*) sealed the deal.

Seamer Malusi Siboto was the hero for the Highveld Lions in their nine-wicket win in Port Elizabeth, the Warriors being bowled out for 182 in their second innings as Siboto took 5/54. He was well-supported by another former Titans player in Migael Pretorius, who took 3/30.

Trailing by 125 runs on first innings and resuming on a parlous 42/3, it always shaped as being a tough final day for the Warriors, but with Lesiba Ngoepe (12) being trapped lbw by Siboto in the second over of the day, they were immediately under even more pressure.

Yaseen Vallie scored 52 before being bowled by a Beuran Hendricks snorter, and the rest of the batsmen were just blown away, with only young Sinethemba Qeshile resisting.

The 19-year-old scored a tremendously composed 69 not out, continuing his incredible record of scoring a half-century in all three of his four-day franchise innings to date.

Despite Qeshile’s heroics, the Lions still only needed 58 for victory and Omphile Ramela and Dominic Hendricks each scored 23 not out as they rushed to their target in 9.4 overs.