Ken Borland

Farhaan Behardien, now playing in the dark blue and orange of the Knights, made just his second 4-Day Domestic Series century at SuperSport Park on Monday, an inspirational effort that put the visitors into a first-innings lead against the Titans in the match-up between the two pool leaders.

Behardien, who starred for the Titans with nine centuries in 98 four-day matches before joining the Bloemfontein side this season, came through a tough morning session in which the Knights had slipped to 49 for three in the first hour. The 37-year-old showed all his experience, determination and skill as he reached stumps on 126 not out, his 233-ball effort leading the Knights to 307 for six at stumps on the second day, already a handy 44 runs in front.

Raynard van Tonder began the fightback for the Knights with his controlled 52, adding 106 for the fourth wicket with Behardien, before Patrick Kruger took control in the afternoon with an aggressive innings of 69 off 99 balls.

Kruger and Behardien added 113 for the fifth wicket and the key partnership was only broken in the third over with the second new ball when Lizaad Williams was fortunate to win an lbw decision against Kruger.

Williams was the best of the Titans bowlers, sharp and consistently asking questions of the batsmen, as he finished the day with three for 63 in 19 overs.

He will need to be as good on the third morning as he was in Monday’s first session if the size of the Knights lead is going to be kept to manageable proportions by the home side.

Ryan Rickelton celebrated his inclusion in the Proteas squad for the first time with a marvellous unbeaten century to take the Imperial Lions to a bonus-point victory over the Cape Cobras in their Momentum One-Day Cup match in Potchefstroom on Friday.

Rickelton thoroughly dominated the bowling as he stroked an impressive 109 not out off 98 deliveries, as the Lions chased down their target of 222 in just 39.2 overs with six wickets to spare. The 24-year-old Rickelton is one of the country’s brightest young batting talents and this week he was named in the Proteas squad for the T20s in Pakistan, his maiden international call-up.

Opening the batting, Rickelton and Wesley Marshall (28) gave the Lions a solid start by raising the 50 in the 10^th over, before the Cobras struck back with two wickets in four overs. But an inspired stand of 98 in 16.2 overs between Rickelton and Dominic Hendricks (54 off 61 balls) put the Lions within sight of victory.

Rickelton completed his third century in 50-over cricket and a brisk 22 from Nicky van den Bergh ensured the bonus point was gained.

The Cobras, having won the toss and elected to bat first, made a good start, Janneman Malan’s well-controlled 67 off 94 balls driving them to 121 for two after 28 overs. But the Lions attack, bowling straighter and fuller than they had been earlier, fought back impressively by taking regular wickets.

It was fine all-round effort by the Lions attack, but Eldred Hawken, in his first game this season, recovered from a rusty start to lead the pacemen with one for 26 in eight overs, and captain Aaron Phangiso took care of the middle overs, taking two for 33 in his 10 excellent overs of left-arm spin.

Debutant Jean du Plessis scored 34 and Christiaan Jonker struck a quickfire 33 off 35 balls, but the Cobras batsmen were generally lacking enough intent against the tight Lions bowling.

The Cobras will also leave Senwes Park for the bio-bubble feeling they had a raw deal when it came to lbw decisions. Du Plessis looked unfortunate to be given out to Phangiso just as he was starting to accelerate, while Rickelton survived three appeals during his innings when the ball certainly looked wicket-bound.

A top-class century by Dean Elgar on a tricky Wanderers pitch has put South Africa in a position of strength in the second Test against Sri Lanka and the gritty left-hander said on Monday that he enjoyed the challenge and being able to cope with the various fluctuations in batting flow that inevitably happen during four hours at the crease.

Elgar’s 127 was the bedrock of the South African first innings of 302 that gave them a commanding lead of 145, but apart from displaying his usual tenacious streak, it was also a fluent innings, coming off just 163 deliveries and featuring 22 boundaries.

“It’s about the ebb and flow of batting in Test cricket and you do go through periods when you have to absorb pressure, and then you’ll have a short window where you can score more freely when the bowlers maybe start searching for a little bit extra. So I went through the gears quite a bit, but that’s the nature of Test cricket – you can’t just have one gear and expect to be consistent.

“It was tough, we know what the Wanderers is like, it was bowler-friendly conditions and there was a lot of movement and in the air too. So the mental aspects of batting are challenged and it’s nice to put yourself through a challenge like that. It’s like coming out the other side of a tunnel and if your team is then in a good position then that’s all you can ask for,” Elgar said after notching the second-fastest of his 13 Test centuries.

While Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen (67) shared a second-wicket stand of 184 – a record both for South Africa against Sri Lanka and in all Wanderers Tests – there was a glaring failure by the rest of the batting line-up to capitalise as the Proteas lost their last nine wickets for 84 runs. Instead of shutting the tourists out of the game through sheer pressure of runs, they gave Sri Lanka a glimmer of hope and the visitors batted gamely, led by captain Dimuth Karunaratne’s 91 not out, to reach 150 for four at stumps.

“It was a well-under-par total especially after the big partnership, but this is not an easy place to bat, especially for the new batsman coming in. There were quite a few very good balls bowled so credit to Sri Lanka, and when you come in you have to really be on form. If you’re able to get through that tough time up front, if you respect the conditions, then you can cash in.

“It was not ideal that I got out and then Rassie straight afterwards, but maybe we relaxed a bit mentally, maybe we need to trust our techniques a bit longer. If you can apply yourself for lengthy periods, leave well and trust your defence, then the conditions will start to flatten out. If you stay in your bubble and not play rash shots, then the pitch does start to do less,” Elgar said.

A marvellous unbeaten century by Aiden Markram lifted the Titans from some otherwise mediocre batting on the first day of their 4-Day Domestic Series match against the Warriors in Centurion, taking the home side to 272 for six at stumps.

On a day that was shortened by a wet outfield in the morning and then bad light in the afternoon, Markram batted through to a classy 149 not out, a boundary-laden innings with 27 fours and a six off just 189 deliveries.

The Titans had been sent in to bat and struggled initially against the Warriors seamers, slipping to 66 for three before a focused Markram added 82 for the fourth wicket with Sibonelo Makhanya (26). Playing with much good judgement, the Proteas hopeful was watchful but ruthless in putting the bad ball away, his driving being especially easy on the eye, and he and Rivaldo Moonsamy (35) then put on 92 for the sixth wicket for the Titans to claim the first-day honours.

Mthiwekhaya Nabe was the best of the Warriors bowlers, taking three for 77, including the prized wicket of Dean Elgar (20) caught behind off an awkward lifting delivery.

At the Wanderers, Sisanda Magala took five wickets on his Imperial Lions debut to have the Knights in terrible trouble before the visitors rallied to reach 291 for nine at stumps.

Sent in to bat, the Knights were a parlous 121 for five before Grant Mokoena showed great determination for his team as he dug in to score a five-and-a-half hour 50 to turn the tide along with Farhaan Behardien (35) and skipper Shaun von Berg (27).

Fast bowler Migael Pretorius then punished his former team to the tune of 73 not out off just 91 balls, stroking 11 boundaries, as he and Gerald Coetzee (27) added 54 in 12 overs against some wayward Lions bowling.

Magala showed he will fit in very well at the bouncy, pace-friendly Wanderers as he took five for 57 in 14.2 overs.

At Kingsmead, the obduracy of opener Senuran Muthusamy and the flashing blade of Dolphins captain Marques Ackerman dominated the day, before the Cape Cobras were unable to capture the key wicket of Khaya Zondo.

Muthusamy, promoted to open after wicketkeeper Grant Roelofsen scored just 3 runs in his four innings at the top of the order, defied the Cobras attack for nearly five-and-a-half hours, doing a fine job after the Dolphins were sent in to bat.

Muthusamy scored 79 off 245 deliveries, adding 99 for the third wicket with Ackerman, who cruised to 66 off 86 balls before once again falling to a loss of concentration when well set, top-edging a pull off medium-pacer Aviwe Mgijima to mid-off.

But Zondo dominated the late afternoon, stroking an entertaining 60 not out to take the Dolphins to 277 for five and he will obviously be the key man on Tuesday with the Dolphins having all-rounder Ruan de Swardt at the wicket with him and the stubborn Prenelan Subrayen to come.