Ken Borland

All-rounder David Wiese was the star for the Unlimited Titans on the second day of their Sunfoil Series match against the Warriors at SuperSport Park yesterday, his runs and wickets helping the home side to take firm control of the game.

Wiese was an important cog in heeding coach Rob Walter’s plea that the team show more application with the bat, scoring 46 as they posted 353 all out in their first innings, and then did another fine job with the ball for the Titans, claiming three for 26 in 15 overs as the Warriors limped to 165 for eight in reply.

Debutant Somila Seyibokwe (11*) and Basheer Walters (8*) were the batsmen at the crease for the Warriors when bad light stopped play at 4.35pm with 21 overs to be bowled on the second day.

In-form opener David White was the only batsman to shine for the Warriors as he scored a classy 85 off 116 balls on a pitch which is producing more and more uneven bounce.

While the Titans definitely had an advantage by winning the toss and batting first, their bowlers have been impressive, Wiese, Marchant de Lange, Shaun von Berg and Cobus Pienaar offering no leniency as they applied constant pressure.

White and Jon-Jon Smuts (20) offered the most resistance with a third-wicket stand of 60 after Michael Price (6) and Colin Ackermann (4) had fallen cheaply to De Lange and Wiese respectively shortly after lunch.

De Lange gave a glimpse of what the Aussie batsmen were fortunate to miss out on while he was injured, having Price caught at short-leg off a sharp lifter and generally bowling with terrific pace and ferocity, without the reward he deserved.

Ryan Bailey added 42 for the fourth wicket with White, but the veteran once again fell in the teens, falling into a short midwicket trap set by Pienaar and being well-caught by Qaasim Adams for 17.

Despite the odd delivery keeping lethally low, the Warriors batsmen were addicted to the drug of back-foot play and Athenkosi Dyili and Andrew Birch were both bowled for ducks, hanging back in the crease, by Pienaar and leg-spinner Von Berg respectively.

The Titans had begun the second day on 268 for six and Pienaar, who had done much to arrest a middle-order slide on the first day, completed his third half-century of this Sunfoil Series campaign off the third delivery of the day, but was then removed two balls later by Birch, driving to cover.

Wiese claimed eight fours off 71 balls and De Lange (27) also dished out some punishment though to lift the Titans to an impressive total, one that could ensure they are not left languishing at the bottom of the log.

Rory Kleinveldt took seven for 34 to tear through the Titans batting line-up and leave the Cape Cobras in firm control of their domestic four-day series match at Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday.

The Titans had started the third day on 183 for four, in reply to the Cobras’ 429, but Kleinveldt ripped through on Saturday morning to dismiss them for 198.

The international seamer, in his first match after a calf niggle, took five wickets for four runs in 24 deliveries with the second new ball, swinging the ball beautifully.

The trouble for the Titans began in the second over of the day when top-scorer Graeme van Buuren ran himself out for 85. He and bowler Dane Piedt both thought a stroke he had played to the boundary would go for four, but fielder Stiaan van Zyl’s slick work saw the batsman run out, opening an end for Kleinveldt to work his magic.

Mangaliso Mosehle fell for four and Shaun von Berg was bowled shouldering arms for his third successive duck in the first over with the second new ball, and Kleinveldt also removed JP de Villiers and Vincent Moore without scoring.

Andrew Puttick, with a great knock of 102 not out, and the prolific Van Zyl, with a fluent 86, then piled on the runs as the Cobras declared their second innings on 212 for two in 56.4 overs, leaving the Titans with an unlikely target of 444 for victory.

The Titans reached 62 for two by stumps, with Heino Kuhn (31*) and Van Buuren (17*) the batsmen at the crease.

The Paarl pitch is favouring the spinners though and Piedt has already taken two for 28 in eight overs.

At the Wanderers, Rilee Rossouw roared to a century to keep the ear of the national selectors, scoring an excellent 107 as the Knights made 329 for six declared in their first innings.

The Lions reached 54 for two in reply before bad light, followed by a large thunderstorm ended play for the day.

The loss of another session – no play was possible on the first day or in the first session of the second day – has meant that a result is highly unlikely.

But the match has allowed 23-year-old Knights debutant Gerhardt Abrahams to announce his arrival in franchise cricket, as he belted a 34-ball 50 not out, while Rudi Second scored 51.

In East London, the Dolphins made 257 for eight in their second innings, meaning their lead over the Warriors has stretched to 356.

The Dolphins failure to declare yet could be questioned, but off-spinner Simon Harmer made life tough for the batsmen as he took five for 100 in 26 overs.

The Dolphins total was built around the second-wicket stand of 84 between Divan van Wyk (58) and Khaya Zondo (49) and the fifth-wicket stand of 70 between Sarel Erwee (64 not out) and Morne van Wyk (41).

Erwee, the left-handed debutant from the KZN Inland team, has struck 10 fours off 110 balls.

The Cobras have now extended their lead on the four-day domestic series log to 10.16 points over the Knights.

http://www.iol.co.za/sport/cricket/domestic/kleinveldt-puts-cobras-in-control-1.1658364#.Ux18_D-Sy9A

South Africa enjoyed a position of complete dominance on 207 for three, leading by 411, after the second day of the first Test against Pakistan at the Wanderers on Saturday, set up by Dale Steyn’s astonishing bowling earlier in the day.

Steyn took six for eight in 8.1 overs as Pakistan were shot out for just 49, the lowest total in their Test history, worse than the 53 they scored against Australia in Sharjah in 2002/3.

It was the third time South Africa had dismissed a team for less than 50 in the last two seasons. Only England, against Australia in 1887/88 and twice versus South Africa in 1888/89, have done this before.

South Africa bowled Australia out for 47 at Newlands in November 2011 and New Zealand for 45 at the same venue last month.

Pakistan’s 49 is also the lowest ever Test score at the Wanderers, the previous worst being 72 by South Africa against England in 1956/57.

Steyn’s magnificent swing bowling, backed by two wickets apiece from Jacques Kallis and Vernon Philander, gave South Africa a 204-run first-innings lead and, after declining to enforce the follow-on, they cruised to 207 for three in 53 overs before stumps.

Coming into bat soon after lunch, Steyn taking the last three Pakistan wickets without conceding a run, openers Graeme Smith (52) and Alviro Petersen (27) were quickly into their stride as they compiled an opening stand of 82 in 21 overs.

Umar Gul removed both openers just four overs into the post-tea session and South Africa then slipped to 99 for three when Jacques Kallis (7) skied an attempted sweep off Saeed Ajmal into the hands of Asad Shafiq at deep midwicket.

But Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers attacked to great effect as they added 108 off 159 balls before stumps, both completing unbeaten half-centuries.

Pakistan had begun the second day on six without loss after making a fine start to the series on day one, but their first innings was a procession of batsmen as Steyn took advantage of their lack of footwork in bowler-friendly conditions.

He ripped through the top-order with ease, having Mohammad Hafeez (6) caught behind off a superb away-swinger, trapping Nasir Jamshed (2) lbw and then having veteran Younis Khan caught in the slips for a duck in his first two overs.

Kallis then removed Azhar Ali (13) and Pakistan captain Misbah ul-Haq (12) with aggressive short-pitched bowling, before an incisive two-wicket burst just before lunch by Philander reduced the visitors to 40 for seven at the break.

Steyn then made an impressive return after lunch, having Saeed Ajmal caught behind off a precise away-swinger and then snaring Sarfraz Ahmed in his next over, wicketkeeper AB de Villiers again taking the catch.

Rahat Ali was then caught at fourth slip by Faf du Plessis for a duck off Steyn to complete a top-class catching display behind the wicket by South Africa, wicketkeeper De Villiers finishing with six catches, a career-best that equalled the national record shared by Denis Lindsay and Mark Boucher (four times).

The well-drilled EP Kings were in firm control in the second half as they beat the Border Bulldogs 35-19 (half-time 10-6) in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match at the Buffalo City Municipal Stadium in East London on Friday.

Credit must be given to the Kings management for their effective game plan and for keeping the team focused after a frustrating first half.

The Kings, physically superior to the gutsy but outmatched Bulldogs, used their most effective weapon, the rolling maul, well as eighthman Cornell du Preez scored a hat-trick of tries from that tactic.

Du Preez benefited because the Kings were without the services of marquee player Luke Watson, but he was not missed as the sheer physicality and forward power of Eastern Province always gave them the edge over the Bulldogs.
The home side were reduced to surviving on scraps of possession and their banditry did bring them a fine try by eighthman Theunis Lambrechts and four penalties in a brave display.

Border scored first through a seventh-minute penalty by flyhalf Reinhardt Gerber and the Kings only opened their account in the 17th minute when flyhalf Wesley Dunlop slotted a penalty.

The Bulldogs had their best try-scoring chance of the first half six minutes later when an up-and-under by Quinton Crocker was brilliantly claimed by wing Chumani Booi, who then fed the fullback up in support. But Crocker decided to cut inside instead of heading for the tryline as powerful Samoan wing Paul Perez came charging across in cover defence, leading to a ruck and a penalty for Border, which Gerber missed.

By now the Kings were using their dominance in the collisions to good effect and Du Preez scored their first try after 10 phases of driving play. Dunlop converted and, although Gerber cut the deficit to 6-10 with another penalty, the excitement was still upcoming as Eastern Province finally hit fifth gear straight after half-time.

Dunlop, one of the people to relocate to Port Elizabeth in the wake of the Kings’ promotion to SuperRugby, kicked a penalty soon after the restart and the Bulldogs were immediately pinned back in their 22 and desperately trying to defend a series of forward drives that led to a couple of penalties. Border were unable to defend the rolling maul off the lineout and Du Preez had his second try in the 45th minute.

Strong running by Perez and centre Tiger Mangweni then displaced the Bulldogs defence in the 51st minute, leading to another Dunlop penalty (23-6).

But Border have their attacking routines well-rehearsed and a counter-attack allowed them to record their third penalty in the 57th minute, kicked by replacement flyhalf Jannie Myburgh.

Du Preez’s hat-trick try probably won’t make the season’s highlights reel as it came from yet another rolling maul, stretching the Eastern Province lead to 28-9 on the hour mark.

Bulldogs captain and flank Gareth Krause managed to latch on to the ball in a ruck and force a penalty, kicked by Myburgh, three minutes later, but the outcome was settled with the home side trailing 12-28.

The best two tries of the match followed in the last 13 minutes, with Mangweni scything through to add another try to his considerable album, before Border eighthman Lambrechts claimed a loose pass and then showed great deternination to grab his try, bouncing off Mangweni, eluding two other tacklers and then barging through replacement wing Siyanda Grey on his way over the line.

It was merely a consolation score for the Bulldogs but, to their credit, they showed little evidence of low morale after suffering their 11th successive defeat.

SCORERS

BORDER BULLDOGS – Try: Theunis Lambrechts. Conversion: Jannie Myburgh. Penalties: Reinhardt Gerber (2), Myburgh (2).

EP KINGS – Tries: Cornell du Preez (3), Tiger Mangweni. Conversions: Wesley Dunlop (3). Penalties: Dunlop (3).

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120907/EP_Kings_beat_Bulldogs_in_EL