Ken Borland

Having failed to withstand the heat of the Indian attack at SuperSport Park, the Proteas will now hop into the furnace of the Wanderers in the second Test starting on Monday, but captain Dean Elgar says their confidence has not been dented.

South Africa, bowled out for just 197 and 191, lost the first Test by 113 runs in Centurion on Thursday and a struggling batting line-up is going to have to come to terms quickly with the outstanding Indian pace trio of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

“India have a really balanced attack. Shami posed issues for our right-handers and Bumrah always runs in with high energy, he’s always challenging you. You have to be very mindful of both of them,” Elgar said after his brave four-hour 77 was not enough to inspire the rest of the batting line-up, apart from Temba Bavuma, who remained unbeaten on 35.

“And when Mohammed Siraj has his tail up he’s also a bit of a handful.

“But we will not lack confidence going into the Wanderers Test. It’s never nice to lose but we know where we went wrong and we have time to reflect and learn from that.

“You need big runs to compete in Test cricket and we did not execute in the first innings when that was doable. We’ve got to compete against the new ball, but we were behind on the number of runs scored on all four days,” Elgar said.

South Africa’s bowlers also took a while to wake up to what was required, although India’s pacemen certainly enjoyed the benefit of a more lively pitch on the third day as the surface quickened up with the early moisture gone.

India reaching 272/3 at the end of the first day meant they could snooze easily for the rest of the Test match, knowing they were already ahead of the game.

A formidable four-strong Central Gauteng Lions pace attack produced another top-class performance on Sunday as they wrapped up victory by an innings and 72 runs over the North-West Dragons in their CSA Four-Day Domestic Series match at the Wanderers.

Despite a pugnacious 70 not out by captain Nicky van den Bergh, North-West were bowled out for 177 in their second innings. A commanding innings of 159 by Ryan Rickelton had set up a Lions total of 408 after they had dismissed the Dragons for just 159 on the first day.

Duanne Olivier completed a fine return to South African domestic cricket with three for 58 on Sunday, giving him seven wickets in the match, but the chief destroyer in the North-West second innings was Malusi Siboto, who returned outstanding figures of four for 21 in 10.4 overs.

At Centurion, left-arm paceman Marco Jansen showed that he is mature way beyond his years as he produced a brilliant counter-attacking innings with the bat that ensured the Eastern Province Warriors still have a chance of pulling off a thrilling win over the Northerns Titans.

Jansen came in with EP, chasing 236 for victory, on 91 for six, and struck a fabulous 55 off 59 balls.

Together with Lesiba Ngoepe (46*) they lifted EP to 180 for seven when Jansen was bowled by left-arm spinner Neil Brand in the final over of the day with a superb arm-ball.

Junior Dala had ripped through the EP middle-order earlier with two quickfire wickets to put them on the back foot.

But the fact that the Warriors were chasing as much as 236 was thanks to a Northerns innings that just got better and better as it progressed.

Sibonelo Makhanya (74) and Jordan Hermann (62) extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 141 and then Dayyaan Galiem ensured the momentum continued with his 47 off 56 balls.

Corbin Bosch took over from Galiem when he was ninth man out as stroked a confident 40 not out and put on a crucial 43 for the last wicket with Dala, who played sensibly for 42 deliveries.

Mthiwekhaya Nabe was the best of the EP bowlers with four for 89 in 22 overs.

At Newlands, Western Province are in trouble at 186 for seven in their second innings against the KZN Dolphins, still trailing by 34 runs with only a couple of decent batsmen left.

Fast bowler Daryn Dupavillon has taken four for 33 including the wicket of top-scorer Yaseen Vallie, trapped lbw for 76.

Left-arm spinner Bryce Parsons, who took five for 82 in the first innings to bowl Western Province out for 269, enabling KXN to enforce the follow-on, dismissed key batsman David Bedingham for 50.

Wayne Parnell who top-scored with 79 not out in the Western Province first innings, sharing a face-saving 105-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Mihlali Mpongwana (40), is still at the crease of for the hosts.

Janneman Malan, reinventing himself as a middle-order batsman, was the mainstay of the Boland Rocks innings as he scored a composed 139 not out to lead his team to 386 for seven against the Free State Knights in Bloemfontein.

That means the visitors are 66 runs ahead on first innings.

There was some solid top-order batting by Boland as Peter Malan scored 44, Isma-eel Gafieldien 37 and Stiaan van Zyl 48, but Ferisco Adams, who is perpetually and stupidly under-rated as a cricketer, scored 74 not out as he and Janneman Malan put on an unbroken 156 for the eighth wicket.

The Wanderers pitch, sterilised by the sun and wind, began to play easier on Saturday and the Central Gauteng Lions capitalised by piling on the runs and then taking three quick North-West wickets on the second day of their CSA Four-Day Domestic Series match.

The Lions, led by Ryan Rickelton’s superbly compiled 159, amassed 408 in their first innings to stack up a 249-run first-innings lead.

In the 10 overs they then bowled to the North-West Dragons before stumps, they claimed three wickets for 50 runs, setting up the possibility of a three-day finish on Sunday.

Rickelton resumed on 33 not out on Saturday morning and was in dazzling touch as he collected 22 fours, his shot-selection and placement being immaculate.

Kagiso Rapulana (26) and Muhammed Mayet (34) shared the key partnerships with Rickelton, adding 80 for the third wicket and 86 for the fourth wicket respectively.

Malusi Siboto then ushered the Lions past 400 with his quickfire 52.

Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy was the most effective North-West bowler with 4/61 in 24.1 overs.

Duanne Olivier, who took four wickets in the first innings, then removed both North-West openers before stumps to leave the Lions firmly in charge.

Up the road at SuperSport Park, Sibonelo Makhanya (64*) and Jordan Hermann (56*) ended the day strongly for the Northerns Titans with their unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 123.

This stand rescued Northerns from 95/4, when they were still trailing by 29 runs, and they now lead the Eastern Province Warriors by 94.

This was debutant Hermann’s second half-century of the match and the U19 star is certainly an exciting talent.

Eastern Province made it to 258 all out in their first innings and this was largely due to opener Ed Moore’s determined 110, which spanned 188 deliveries.

Diego Rosier, who scored a dashing 85 on the first day, and Tiaan van Vuuren (20*) were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.

Paceman Corbin Bosch and off-spinner Simon Harmer each took three wickets.

At Newlands, Khaya Zondo’s magnificent unbeaten double-century meant there were many funerals for the Western Province bowling figures.

Zondo compiled a thoroughly dominant 203 not out and, with Jason Smith stroking a fine 101, the KZN Dolphins piled up 489/9 declared.

Western Province then struggled to 101/4 in reply, including the demise of key batsman David Bedingham, caught-and-bowled by spinner Bryce Parsons for 62.

In Bloemfontein, veteran Free State Knights captain Pite van Biljon played some adorable strokes as he scored 137 with 14 fours and three sixes to lead the home side to 320 all out.

He marshalled the tail particularly well because Free State were 185/7 at one stage.

Fast bowler Hardus Viljoen (25-6-62-4) led the attack for Boland, who were 2/0 at the close.

As usual, it was the home team who adjusted best to tricky conditions at the Wanderers as the Central Gauteng Lions ended the first day of their CSA Four-Day Domestic Series match against the North-West Dragons in a commanding position.

Having bowled North-West out for just 159, they had reached 127 for two at stumps.

On a pitch that offered late movement, the Lions won a good toss and sent North-West in to bat under overcast skies.

Former Lions franchise player Wesley Marshall put them under early pressure though, blazing his way to 52 off just 36 balls, including three fours and two sixes off Lutho Sipamla’s third over.

But the Lions pacemen adapted to the onslaught and quickly found the right length to bowl.

Duanne Olivier probed intelligently and marked his return to domestic cricket with four for 50, while Sipamla rebounded to take three for 68. Sisanda Magala also kept the batsmen thinking with two for 24.

Nicky van den Bergh, a real stalwart of the former Lions franchise, was the only other North-West batsman to prosper, scoring 41.

The North-West bowlers were too inconsistent to apply the same amount of pressure and the Lions top-order played with composure and good judgement.

Josh Richards was going through the gears before he was trapped lbw by Lwandiswa Zuma for 56, sharing an opening stand of 73 with skipper Dominic Hendricks (26).

Ryan Rickelton (33*) will be the batsman to lead the charge on Saturday morning.

At Centurion, the Eastern Province Warriors are in charge against the Northerns Titans, with a first-innings lead of 62 already with six wickets in hand.

Sent in to bat first, Northerns were bundled out for a paltry 134, new-ball bowlers Glenton Stuurman (13-4-34-5) and Marco Jansen (11.2-2-31-3) taking command.

Jordan Hermann, playing his first senior game for the Titans, was their top-scorer with a brave 50 not out.

Eastern Province were in early trouble as Corbin Bosch reduced them to 25 for three, but opener Ed Moore batted through to stumps with a defiant 85 not out, while Diego Rosier scored an aggressive 85 off just 104 balls as the Warriors took control at 196 for four.

Cape Town’s weather was still moulting from winter to summer on Friday morning, the start of play being delayed in the match between KZN Dolphins and Western Province.

Eventually 72 overs were able to be bowled, with KZN reaching 186 for four. Bryce Parsons (45), Keegan Petersen (56) and Jason Smith (44*) all looked at ease after the visitors were sent in to bat.

No play at all was possible in the match between the Free State Knights and the Boland Rocks in Bloemfontein.