Spinners make hay in Potch, Brand stars for Titans, Knights solid

Spinners were in a destructive mood on a dramatic first day of the headline 4-Day Franchise Series match between last year’s champions, the Imperial Lions, and the team they pipped to the title last season, the WSB Cape Cobras.

Batting first after winning the toss, the Lions were dismissed for 215 with left-arm spinner George Linde (4-67) and offspinner Matthew Kleinveldt (3-34) sharing seven wickets between them at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on Monday.

In reply, the Cobras’ batsmen went into a total tailspin against the Lions’ tweakers. The fact that they even reached 106 for eight at the close was due to an undefeated 54 in 114 balls (six fours) from allrounder Jason Smith. The main destroyers for the Lions was left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso, who claimed 4-28, while Bjorn Fortuin captured 2-26. This meant that spinners claimed 13 of the 18 wickets to fall in the day.

Linde took two wickets in his first over just before lunch with Reeza Hendricks and Wiaan Mulder going in consecutive deliveries, both caught by Janneman Malan at slip.

He followed that up with another brace after the break with Nicky van den Berg and Dwaine Pretorius his next victims with the former providing Malan with his third catch at slip. And with Kleinveldt weighing in with the cheap scalps of Bjorn Fortuin (6), Malusi Siboto (0) and Phangiso (5), the Lions had lost seven wickets for 55 runs.

At 143 for nine, the Lions were in deep trouble, but they were rescued, to a degree, by a sterling last-wicket partnership of 72 between Kagiso Rapulana and Beuran Hendricks who added a breezy 72 in an hour.

Rapulana, who also featured in a half-century third-wicket partnership with Reeza Hendricks (30), was the anchor of the home team’s innings. In all, he struck 10 fours in his unbeaten 84 in 130 balls, his 18th first-class half-century, while Hendricks weighed in with 29 in 50 balls.

The Cobras struggled from the outset when they replied. Left-arm spinner Fortuin struck early, trapping Pieter Malan leg before, while Janneman Malan fell to left-arm paceman Hendricks.

Then it was the turn of Phangiso to wreak havoc, as he struck three times to dismiss Simon Khomari (2), Kyle Verreynne (10) and Matthew Kleinveldt (4). Aviwe Mgijima was then castled by Malusi Siboto and Fortuin got rid of Linde to leave the Cobras in dire straits on 74 for seven.

Smith kept the innings alive with some aggressive strokes but the Cobras still finished the day 109 runs in arrears with just two wickets in hand.

IMPERIAL LIONS: Ryan Rickelton, Dominic Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Kagiso Rapulana, Wihan Lubbe, Nicky van den Bergh (capt & wk), Dwaine Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin, Aaron Phangiso, Malusi Siboto, Beuran Hendricks

WSB CAPE COBRAS: Pieter Malan (capt), Aviwe Mgijima, Dane Paterson, Tladi Bokako, George Linde, Janneman Malan, Jason Smith, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Matthew Kleinveldt, Nandre Burger, Simon Khomari

BRAND TON HELPS BUILD IMPRESSIVE TOTAL

Neil Brand struck his second first-class century to power the Multiply Titans to an impressive 316 for five on the first day of their 4-Day Franchise Series match against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Monday.

The 23-year-old cracked 15 fours in his 106 in 170 balls before he became paceman Daryn Dupavillon’s second victim on the stroke of tea.

Brand led an impressive recovery by the home team after Dupavillon had taken the wicket of opener Andrea Agathangelou with his first delivery to leave the Titans on 1 for one.

Brand and Tony de Zorzi added 50 for the second wicket before offspinner Prenelan Subrayen had De Zorzi stumped by Grant Roelofsen, while he added a further 123 for the third wicket with his captain, Grant Thomson who made exactly 50 before being trapped leg before by Andile Phehlukwayo.

After tea it was the turn of Farhaan Behardien and Henry Davids to build on the solid foundation Brand had set. The two former internationals added 99 for the fifth wicket before paceman Eathan Bosch – who had bowled accurately all day – bowled Davids for 55, leaving Behardien unbeaten on 61 at the close.

Dupavillon, who began well but was expensive later in the day, finished with 2-77 in 16 overs while Bosch finished with the tidy figures of 1-39 in 20 overs. Andile Phehlukwayo and offspinner Prenelan Subrayen took a wicket apiece.

MULTIPLY TITANS: Andrea Agathangelou, Tony de Zorzi, Neil Brand, Grant Thomson (capt & wk), Farhaan Behardien, Henry Davids, Dayyaan Galiem, Rubin Herman, Junior Dala, Tshepo Moreki, Marcello Piedt

HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Grant Roelofsen (wk), Marques Ackerman, Cody Chetty, Khaya Zondo (capt), Sibs Makhanya, Eathan Bosch, Okuhle Cele, Daryn Dupavillon, Andile Phehlukwayo, Prenelan Subrayen

SOLID BATTING BY KNIGHTS

A century opening stand and a series of useful contributions from the middle order enabled the VKB Knights to reach a solid 292 for seven on the first day of their 4-Day Franchise Series match against the Warriors at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley on Monday.

Winning the toss and batting first, Knights’ openers Raynard van Tonder and Grant Mokoena batted through until lunch which they took on 107 without loss.

Van Tonder, who struck nine fours in his innings, reached his eighth first-class 50 just before the break but he departed soon after the restart, leg before to Andrew Birch. Mokoena followed shortly afterwards for 48 (3x4s, 2x6s), becoming the first victim of the combination of bowler Jon-Jon Smuts and fielder Onke Nyaku. Keegan Petersen (31) went the same way as the home team went into tea on 192 for three.

The Warriors enjoyed a better final session with Smuts adding Clyde Fortuin and Shaun von Berg to his earlier victims to finish with 4-54, but all the Knights’ middle-order made useful contributions, with Pite van Biljon making 35 while Gerald Coetsee and Marco Jansen featured in an unbroken eighth-wicket partnership of 32 to ensure a solid day at the crease for the home team.

VKB KNIGHTS: Grant Mokoena, Raynard van Tonder, Keegan Petersen, Pite van Biljon (capt), Patrick Kruger, Shaun von Berg, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, Tshepo Ntuli, Mbulelo Budaza, Clyde Fortuin (wk)

WARRIORS: Matthew Breetzke, Andrew Birch, Jon-Jon Smuts (capt), Sinethemba Qeshile, Yaseen Vallie, Lutho Sipamla, Jade de Klerk, Glenton Stuurman, Edward Moore, Onke Nyaku, Rudi Second (wk)