Dolphins’ Smuts, Parsons smash Dragons as WP close in on win
THE second half of the domestic Four-Day Series competition resumed this week as all eight Division 1 teams looked to secure the top two spots on the log in order to qualify for the final.
Placed second, the Warriors hosted Western Province in Gqeberha, while the Tuskers hosted the log-leading Titans in Pietermaritzburg.
The Rocks travelled up to Johannesburg to play the Lions, while the North West Dragons welcomed the Dolphins in Potchefstroom.
The Dolphins breezed to 643-8 at the JB Marks Oval, with former SA Under-19 captain Bryce Parsons scoring a career-best 191 off just 179 balls.
Jon-Jon Smuts smashed 152 to help the visitors assert their dominance over the Dragons.
At stumps on day two yesterday, the Dragons were in trouble on 200-5, with Lesbian Ngoepe’s 122-ball 96 the highlight for the hosts.
At the Wanderers, spinner Bjorn Fortuin claimed a four-fer to help bowl the Boland Rocks out for 226 on day one, before Dominic Hendricks and nightwatchman Codi Yusuf saw the Lions unscathed at stumps.
With the hosts boosted by the return of Proteas Test captain Temba Bavuma (77), the Lions dominated play on day two, and reached 402-4 at stumps yesterday, courtesy of Hendricks’ unbeaten 121.
The bottom-placed Tuskers shocked the country when they scored 426 in their first innings at home against the highly rated Titans unit.
Yaseen Valli took the fight to the Titans with a well-puttogether 124 and gave hope to the Pietermaritzburg-based team facing relegation.
In reply, opening batters Matthew Kleinveldt (81 not) and Joshua van Heerden (59 not) guided the Titans to 147-0 at stumps yesterday.
In Gqeberha, a record 39 wickets fell over the first two days of the encounter, with the visiting Western Province heading into day three needing only one wicket to win, with 115 runs to play with.
Bowling first on day one, the Warriors bowled WP out for 141 courtesy of a four-fer from seamer Alfred Mothoa.
However, Wesley Bedja (5-19) helped the visitors bowl the Warriors out for 111 in only his second first-class game, ensuring that Province had a crucial 30-run first-innings lead.
WP made 203 in their second innings, with Tony de Zorzi scoring a patient 111-ball 44, while left-arm orthodox spinner Siya Simetu finished as the pick of the bowlers with a threefer for the Warriors.
Needing 234 runs to win, with Test batter Tristan Stubbs in the batting line-up, the Warriors believed they could chase the target. However, they found themselves at 119-9 before bad light stopped play yesterday.