Double centuries for Markram and Verreynne.
Telford Vice | Cape Town
KESHAV Maharaj batted and bowled the Dolphins to victory over the Lions at the Wanderers in the latest round of franchise first-class matches in South Africa, which ended on Wednesday. Despite a double century by Aiden Markram, the Titans and Knights couldn’t find a way past each other in Centurion. At Newlands, not even the season’s biggest total and the highest individual score of the summer, by Kyle Verreynne, could help the Cobras end a run of more than two years without a victory.
The Knights top pool A with one round of matches remaining but the Dolphins are only 1.16 points behind. The defending champions, the Lions, are 28.98 points off the pace. The Titans are 14.16 points ahead of the Warriors in pool B with the Cobras a further 10.32 adrift. The final, which will be contested by the pool winners, is scheduled for five days from March 25.
The Dolphins slipped to 162/5 before Khaya Zondo and Eathan Bosch added 119. Once they were separated the wickets resumed falling: the last five went down for 94. Beuran Hendricks and Lutho Sipamla shared six of them in a total of 375, in which Bosch scored his first century, 104 off 127 balls. The Lions replied with 362, and they would have been far more than 13 runs behind without opener Ryan Rickelton, who was last out for 194 — his sixth first-class century but his first at franchise level. Reeza Hendricks made 52 in a second-wicket stand of 134 and Lutho Sipamla was part of a ninth-wicket effort of 63. But between those peaks the Lions lost 7/99. Maharaj bowled more than a third of the overs in the innings and took 6/126.
The Dolphins let the advantage slip when they shambled to 113/6 with Marques Ackerman and Zondo suffering first-ballers and only Keegan Petersen standing firm. Then Maharaj joined the latter to add 79. Petersen scored 56 off 77 and Maharaj made 89 off 62 — hitting 62 in fours and sixes — to boost the visitors to a total of 235 in which Wiaan Mulder took 4/37. That left the Lions a gettable target of 249, but Daryn Dupavillon bowled Dominic Hendricks without a run on the board and Maharaj, who came on at first change, removed Rassie van der Dussen second ball. The Lions crashed to 90/5 on their way to being dismissed for 162 in 53 overs, which made the Dolphins winners by 86 runs. Maharaj took 7/48 to complete a match haul of 13/174.
Migael Pretorius and Mbulelo Budaza took seven wickets between them to dismiss the Titans for 263 on the first day. Neil Brand’s 107 and Grant Thompson’s 52 shone from a scorecard in which the last six wickets fell for 24. The Knights earned a lead of 151 when they declared at 414/9 with Farhaan Behardien making 142 amid half-centuries by Raynard van Tonder, Patrick Kruger and Shaun von Berg. Behardien shared 106 with Van Tonder and 113 with Kruger. Lizaad Williams plugged away for 30 overs for his 4/103.
Dean Elgar and Markram batted together for 55 overs at the top of the order in the Titans’ second innings on Tuesday and for another 13.4 overs on Wednesday before Von Berg had Elgar caught behind for 90 to end the stand at 213. In his next over Von Berg caught and bowled Brand for a duck. But thoughts of the Knights riding away with the match receded as Sibonelo Makhanya, who scored 68, helped Markram put on 141. Markram was still there when elbows were bumped on the draw. He scored 204 not out, his first double century.
The Cobras overcame losing openers Pieter Malan and Jonathan Bird with 15 runs scored to pile up 513/6 before they declared as stumps loomed on the second day. The total was built on Verreynne’s undefeated and career-best 216, 118 of them claimed in boundaries. Verreynne put on 108 with Tony de Zorzi, who scored 68, another 192 with George Linde, who made 107, and 122 with Imran Manack, whose unbeaten 55 was his best effort at this level. The Warriors used nine bowlers to send down 144 overs, but none of them could take more than two wickets. By the close on the third day the visitors had been reduced to 259/9 with Ayabulela Gqamane and Marco Jansen, numbers eight and nine, scoring half-centuries and Tshepo Moreki and Akhona Mnyaka taking three wickets each. The Warriors needed another 104 runs to avoid being told to follow on, but rain began falling on the third evening and continued until the match was called off just before noon on Wednesday. The Cobras have now gone 15 first-class games without winning.
First published by Cricbuzz.
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