Ken Borland

Stephen Cook became just the fourth batsman to score 10 000 runs in South African domestic first-class cricket as he led the bizhub Highveld Lions to a commanding position on the first day of their top-of-the-log Sunfoil Series match against the Unlimited Titans at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Thursday.

Cook showed great shot-selection and poise in reaching 108 not out before bad light stopped play at 4.15pm, with 25 overs still scheduled to be bowled, with the Lions on 264 for two.

It was a typically methodical innings by Cook, who in the process joined the illustrious trio of Graeme Pollock (12409), Peter Kirsten (11835) and his own father, Jimmy Cook (11307), in scoring 10 000 domestic first-class runs.

The Lions captain seldom looked threatened, but he did survive a chance on 32 when Heino Kuhn missed a catch at slip off left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, who presumably aired his frustrations in the changeroom because it was the last ball before lunch.

The Lions had elected to bat first on a brownish, dry-looking pitch after winning the toss, and Rassie van der Dussen took the attack to the Titans bowlers as he breezed to an 84-ball half-century, the visitors going to lunch on 92 without loss.

Van der Dussen fell seven overs after the break, top-edging a hook at left-arm seamer Rowan Richards to fine-leg, where Junior Dala took a good running catch. Van der Dussen’s 65 off 109 deliveries had taken the Lions to 114 before the first wicket fell.

Cook went to his half-century soon afterwards and, with the Titans bowlers contriving to bowl on both sides of the wicket, and often too short, the Lions piled on 125 runs in 28 overs in the middle session, going to tea on 217 for one.

The Lions have high hopes for young Dominic Hendricks and he is starting to repay their faith this season, the left-hander scoring a dashing 63 off 87 balls to take his four-day average to 39 this season, with four half-centuries.

Hendricks hammered 11 fours and a six and added 115 off 158 balls with Cook for the second wicket, their partnership ending in the fifth over after tea when he pushed at a delivery outside off stump from Richards and Mangaliso Mosehle, the Titans wicketkeeper, dived to his left to take the catch.

Neil McKenzie (13*) then joined Cook and their partnership had already reached 35 when play was halted.

Down in Port Elizabeth, the Chevrolet Warriors’ capitulation to 203 all out was music to the ears of the struggling defending champions, the Nashua Cape Cobras.

Paceman Lizaad Williams and unorthodox spinner George Linde operated well in tandem as they shared six wickets and fast bowler Dane Paterson claimed two.

Richard Levi and Omphile Ramela then took the Cobras safely through to stumps on 11 without loss.

After the Cobras won the toss and bowled first, Paterson removed Michael Price for a duck in the first over and then had Jon-Jon Smuts caught behind for a single in the seventh over.

David White (38) and Ryan Bailey (37) added 43 for the third wicket, before Linde broke the partnership.

Simon Harmer dug in for 33 off 72 deliveries, but the Warriors only got to 203 thanks to a last-wicket stand of 53 between Sisanda Magala (32) and Basheer Walters (24*).

In Kimberley, Imraan Khan marked his recent return to the Sunfoil Dolphins line-up with his second successive century, scoring 127 to usher them to 251 for four against the Chevrolet Knights.

Divan van Wyk scored 57 as the Dolphins, who elected to bat first, put up a solid opening stand of 168.

Off-spinner Patrick Botha removed both openers, before the hostile Quinton Friend got busy with the second new ball and claimed two more wickets to give the Knights some late cheer.

 http://citizen.co.za/307726/cook-makes-history-books-first-day-sunfoil-series/

It’s probably not hard to get inspired in the South African Open when Ernie Els is the competition and he shoots 67, and fellow South African Jbe’ Kruger managed to go one better in the first round at Glendower Golf Club on Thursday.

Kruger and Englishman Andy Sullivan are the first-round leaders of the second oldest national open in golf on six-under-par 66, with Els in a tie for third one shot back with Denmark’s Lasse Jensen and 2008 champion Richard Sterne.

Spaniard Jordi Garcia Pinto and South African Erik van Rooyen also challenged for the lead before falling away in the closing holes, Pinto with three successive bogeys for a 68 and Van Rooyen with dropped shots on 17 and 18 for a 69.

It was an excellent day all-round for Kruger, who produced the only bogey-free round and enjoyed the treat of seeing his name just above his childhood hero’s on the SA Open leaderboard.

“It was a perfect start to the year after two weeks off, you couldn’t ask for a better way to get the confidence back. I hit my irons very well today, I only hit a couple of fairways but the greens are still very good. If you hit it straight, then there are a lot of birdies out there,” Kruger said.

“But it’s great for South African golf that Ernie is in contention, it’s just because it’s Ernie Els and you have to respect him. But I’m one ahead of him and that’s very nice too,” the diminutive 28-year-old said with an impish smile.

The excellence of his iron-play meant Kruger was able to get out of the rough when he strayed off the tee, but for the rest of the field, the cloying Kikuyu was a nightmare.

“If you miss from the tee, it is so tough to put the second on the green. So if you miss one shot, you’re going to get bogey or worse,” Pinto said.

The well-travelled Sterne was even more outspoken.

“If you don’t hit the fairway then this course is as brutal as I’ve seen, I’ve seen a few things in my career but this is the worst rough. It’s a great golf course and it really doesn’t need much tricking up.

“I think they’ve overdone it a bit with the rough. On the fourth, I was only about eight metres off the fairway and I could only hit a lob-wedge 10 yards. You just can’t advance the ball, which I haven’t seen anywhere else. I get that it’s a national Open, but in the British and U.S. Opens, you get thick rough but you can still advance the ball 120 metres.

“This kikuyu is so knitted together, if we didn’t have spotters you wouldn’t find your ball in it. It’s crazy. If they want to make the course tougher, they should just firm up the greens,” Sterne said.

Els, however, held the opposite view, but then the five-time SA Open champion has miraculous powers when it comes to golf courses.

“The organisers are getting soft, they had complaints and they cut the rough down this morning. You now can get decent lies in the rough and I hope they leave it to grow now again,” Els said after an inspired round that even he said reminded him of the good old days.

“I’m thrilled with my round. I had a really nice back nine, I hit probably every green and had a lot of looks at birdie. Physically I feel very good, it felt like the old days out there today and it’s nice to be back,” Els said.

The return of Els, now the official ambassador for the SA Open, created plenty of excitement and a large crowd followed him all morning at Glendower, which is close to where he grew up in Kempton Park.

Kruger is also an East Rand boy and, with Charl Schwartzel handily placed on four-under-par, Sterne strongly in contention and Thomas Aiken, George Coetzee and Branden Grace also all under par, a thrilling event looks in store as the 2015 golf year gets underway.

 http://citizen.co.za/304124/sa-open-1st-day/