Ken Borland

Pieter Malan showed he is obviously still one of the best opening batsmen in the country when he batted the Boland Rocks through to the safety of a draw in their CSA 4-Day Domestic Series match against Western Province in Paarl on Monday.

Malan batted through the 119 over innings to score an extremely disciplined 117 not out off 349 balls to deny Western Province on the final day. Boland, who were 177 runs behind on first innings, began the final day on 106 without loss, still trailing by 71.

But Isma-eel Gafieldien was only able to add one run to his overnight score of 60 before he was trapped lbw by left-arm paceman Wayne Parnell.

Left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds (45-16-81-3) then really raised Western Province’s hopes for a victory with a three-wicket burst that left Boland on 178/4.

But Malan found an able partner in the in-form Ferisco Adams, who scored 50 not out as the pair stayed together for 30 overs to secure the draw with Boland closing on 269/4.

The other match that went into the fourth day, between the Northerns Titans and the KZN Dolphins at SuperSport Park, was also drawn after the final day was washed out by rain.

Northerns, trailing by nine runs on the first innings, were left on the overnight score of 125/1 in the second innings.

A cricket ball that had had 116 runs belted off it by the opening batsmen was a pivotal item of lost property at SuperSport Park on Sunday as the Dolphins staged an impressive comeback against the Titans.

Having won the toss and batted, the probable Proteas opening pair at the same venue on Boxing Day, Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar, showed their class as they reached 92 without loss at lunch.

The runs were then flowing after the break when Markram unleashed a powerful straight drive for four off Daryn Dupavillon. Bizarrely, the Dolphins then could not find the ball and, after several minutes, a change of ball was ordered by the umpires.

And it proved a turning point as Elgar was caught in the slips off Ottneil Baartman in the next over for 52. Worse was to come in Dupavillon’s next over when the fast bowler got his hand to another fierce straight drive by Markram, deflecting the ball on to the stumps and running out Neil Brand for a duck.

Former Northerns star Ruan de Swardt then took over, removing the in-form Markram for 75 with the help of a superb catch at gully by Andile Phehlukwayo, and the seamer finished the day with career-best figures of four for 41 in 15 overs, nipping the ball in and out, as he did to great effect when he had Diego Rosier caught behind for 27.

With left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj getting some late reward for his lovely bowling all day, the Titans closed on 269 for nine. Maharaj ended the first day with figures of 23-9-48-3, winning his battle with Theunis de Bruyn (22), before Dayyaan Galiem denied him late in the day with a crucial contribution of 45 not out.

Batting at St George’s Park is even tougher, with the match between the Warriors and Cape Cobras looking already as if it is heading for an early finish.

The Warriors were bowled out for just 194 after winning the toss and batting, thanks in the main to Rudi Second’s 55.

Spinner George Linde wrapped up the tail to finish with four for 52, but Akhona Mnyaka (9-2-34-2) and Calvin Savage (15-7-23-2) were the chief threats.

The Cobras then struggled to 72 for three at stumps, but opener Pieter Malan, who is unfortunate not to be in the Test squad, is still there on 35 not out, along with Kyle Verreynne on 21*.

Glenton Stuurman, who is hoping for a Test debut after Christmas, was a handful up front, taking two for nine in nine overs.

In Bloemfontein, the Knights scored 327 for six after batting first, with Raynard van Tonder the only batsman to flourish, scoring a phenomenal 180 not out off just 226 balls against the Imperial Lions, the defending champions.

Van Tonder, who also has reason to feel hard done by with his exclusion from the Test squad, certainly gave the selectors more to think about as he stroked 23 fours and two sixes. No-one else scored more than 28 as pacemen Lutho Sipamla and Tladi Bokako took two wickets apiece.

There is clearly plenty of work still to do for South Africa in T20 cricket as they slumped to a 29-run defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in their Pran RFL Triangular Series match at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/sa-team/news/120620/Plenty_of_work_to_do_for_SA

South Africa’s back-up attack is a worry as they conceded 176 for four after Zimbabwe chose to bat first; and the home attack then sent out a clear warning that spinners and bowlers who take the pace off are still a major threat for the South African batsmen as they bowled them out for 147.

Richard Levi had given South Africa a solid start with his 40 off 28 balls, but his soft dismissal, pulling off-spinner Prosper Utseya to cow-corner, and the decision to move Justin Ontong (4) and Dane Vilas (0) up the order proved costly as the tourists slumped from 73 for one after eight overs to 91 for five just four overs later.

Colin Ingram, who was dropped first ball by Vusi Sibanda, scored a defiant 48 off 39 balls, but when Sibanda caught him at deep mid-off off the bowling of the superb Christopher Mpofu in the 18th over, it was all over for South Africa.

Hashim Amla (11) still looked in prime form as he collected two boundaries off Kyle Jarvis in the second over, but in the next over, he tried to drive Mpofu on the up and could only sky a catch into the hands of the back-pedalling Hamilton Masakadza.

Mpofu had Ingram dropped at square-leg by Sibanda in the fifth over but took a break with excellent figures of one for 14 in three overs.

But Jarvis continued to leak runs at the other end, going for 28 in two, and South Africa were in charge until the introduction of spinners Graeme Cremer and Prosper Utseya.

Utseya removed Levi and Cremer then heaped more pressure on the South Africans by dismissing Ontong – off a cramped drive – and Vilas, who tried to cut a big-turning googly and chopped on, with successive deliveries in the 10th over.

Cremer struck again in his next over with the even bigger scalp of JP Duminy (6). The left-hander also fell to the googly, which Cremer almost turns more than his stock leg-break, and was so far down the pitch that wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor could afford three attempts to complete the stumping!

Ingram and Albie Morkel found ways to score off Cremer, though, as they gave South Africa a chance, taking 15 runs off the leg-spinner in the 14th over, to leave the visitors needing 63 off six overs to win.

Morkel had hit Cremer a long way for six but then found a frustrating way to get out as he bottom-edged a cut at a very wide delivery from Richard Muzhange and was caught behind for 10.

Muzhange was brilliant at the death, taking two for 16 in three overs, but no one bowled better than Mpofu, who finished with three for 20, removing the dangerous Robin Peterson (13) and Ingram in the 18th over.

Cremer finished with three for 29 and Utseya one for 27 in four overs as Zimbabwe pulled off one of their most famous victories.

Half-centuries by both opening batsmen had been the key feature as Zimbabwe posted a fine 176 for four.

South Africa again produced a mediocre bowling display and a messy performance in the field and will have to chase down a testing target on a pitch that is offering turn and grip for the slower balls.

Zimbabwe won the toss and batted and openers Sibanda and Masakadza immediately had the South African bowlers under pressure as they breezed to 38 without loss in five overs.

It just got worse for the visitors as Sibanda and Masakadza reached 50 in the seventh over and raised their century partnership after just 12 overs.

Perhaps one shouldn’t expect miracles just a day after their disappointing first match against Bangladesh, but the South African bowlers once again failed to build pressure, bowling towards the leg-side too often and not stacking up dot balls.

Sibanda and Masakadza eventually added 114 for the first wicket before Masakadza tried to slog-sweep left-arm spinner Peterson, who held the ball back and was rewarded with a catch at cow-corner.

Masakadza, powerful and lethal on the leg side, scored 55 off 39 balls, with five fours and a six.

Sibanda enjoyed himself until the 16th over, hammering four fours and two sixes in his 58 off 50 balls before Parnell had him caught at deep backward point in the 16th over.

The over was an eventful one, also featuring a dropped catch on the boundary by Levi, a four and another wicket when Elton Chigumbura mistimed a pull off the left-arm seamer to be caught off the first ball he faced.

Captain Taylor, dropped by Ontong on the midwicket boundary off Morkel on six, was the star of the closing overs, joining in on the feast as he bashed three fours and two sixes in lashing 38 off 21 balls. His innings ensured Zimbabwe posted a testing target after a very promising start.

Taylor fell to the first ball of the final over when he somehow managed to glove what should have been a free hit at a wretched short ball down leg from Marchant de Lange to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas, who took a good catch diving forward.

Peterson enjoyed bowling on a pitch that suited him, finishing with one for 29 in his four overs, while Morkel (3-0-26-0) and De Lange, in a final over that cost just seven runs, did well when called upon to bowl at the most inconvenient times.