Harmer in wicket feast for Warriors
IT was a day for wickets at St George’s Park yesterday as the Warriors and the Dolphins traded some telling body blows on the opening day of their Sunfoil Series cricket match in Port Elizabeth.
It was the kind of frenetic day that, at times, would have batsmen rushing for pads in the dressingroom as the Dolphins were dismissed for only 145.
When stumps were drawn, the Warriors were 100 in reply, having lost four wickets of their own.
So when the dust had settled, 14 wickets had fallen and the home team were 45 runs behind overnight.
Spin hardly ever dominates on day one of a four-day game, but yesterday proved to be one of the exceptions.
Offie Simon Harmer turned out to be the hero for the home team, running through the Dolphins batting order to take six wickets for 47 runs as the visitors were rolled over inside the first two sessions of play.
The Dolphins won the toss and chose to bat first on a wellgrassed surface and an overcast morning.
After fast bowler Anrich Nortje did the early damage, picking up both openers Sarel Erwee (0) and Morne van Wyk (18), Essex turner Harmer, 27, took over the baton somewhat earlier than expected.
He was introduced into the attack in the 13th over, barely an hour into the match, and bowled six tidy overs from the Duckpond End before switching to the Park Drive side.
The change of ends brought about immediate success as he picked up two wickets in his seventh over.
First, he deceived Vaughn van Jaarsveld into running past one of his deliveries, only to be stumped by Clyde Fortuin for an attractive 40.
Two balls later, he trapped Sibonelo Makhanya leg before wicket as the Dolphins slipped to 70 for four.
That became 95 for five when seamer Tladi Bokako struck from the other side, removing the dangerous Dane Vilas for 13.
Harmer then added the scalps of Robbie Frylinck, stumped by Fortuin, and Dolphins captain Keshav Maharaj. Both made only 10 runs.
The spinner then completed his six-for by knocking over tailenders Zakariya Paruk and Mthokozisi Shezi.
Seruran Muthusamy had looked patiently solid while compiling his 41, but like many of the Dolphins batsmen he played a loose stroke to become Nortje’s third victim of the innings.
The Warriors lost their fair share of personnel as well, with Matthew Breetzke (4) the first to trudge back to the hutch after sparring at fast bowler Kerwin Mungroo, only to be caught easily by Morne van Wyk at slip.
Eddie Moore (21) played around with one from Maharaj to be bowled, and Colin Ackermann (9) and Gihahn Cloete (14) also had their furniture disturbed by Shezi and Frylinck respectively.
Yaseen Vallie (29) and lefthander Lesiba Ngoepe (14) were unbeaten for the home team and will resume the innings today.