For the second successive day bad light brought play to a premature end in the four-day Sunfoil Series match between the Warriors and the Multiply Titans at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday.
At stumps the Titans were on the dreaded Nelson, 111 for five wickets after 46 overs. Although the batting throughout the day was painfully slow at times, this was engrossing franchise stuff with valuable points at stake.
A magnificent spell of bowling by Simon Harmer rocked the visitors and had them in a spin, particularly in the second session when he captured three of the four wickets which fell. For good measure he also took a catch in the slips to get rid of opener Tony de Zorzi for a duck with the score on six for one wicket, the bowler being medium-pacer Tladi Bokako.
Harmer had been introduced into the bowling attack as early as the 13th over and in his initial spell of nine overs between lunch and tea, he captured 3/28. All the batsmen played him most circumspectly.
He had opening batsman Andrea Agathangelou caught at slip for 21 and then number three batsman, Heino Kuhn, after batting solidly for some time, went down the track and skied a ball to deep mid-on, where Anrich Nortje took a comfortable catch.
Suddenly the Titans were looking vulnerable at 49 for three wickets with two new batsmen – Heinrich Klaasen and Farhaan Berhardien - at the crease.
Worse was to follow for the Titans. At 68 Harmer struck again when he had Klaasen (7) caught at a short mid-on position, and the Titans went to tea tottering on 74/4.
Berhardien was adventurous as usual, essaying some reverse-sweeps against Harmer. Henry Davids gave his skipper some support but Harmer completely bottled up one end.
After tea Harmer managed to get one past Davids’s defence and disturbed the bails. It was his fourth wicket, the score was 92/5 and the Warriors were cock-a-hoop.
Chris Morris joined Berhardien but the rapid deterioration of the light spoilt matters. This time play ended 27 overs short after 30 were lost on Thursday
Earlier the Warriors’ first innings was ended on 282, after starting the day on 203 for four wickets. They were confronted by some exceptionally excellent line-and-length bowling from the Titans pace attack.
In particular internationals Morris and Junior Dala were impressive and they were well supported by leg-spinner Shaun von Berg, and the Warriors found runs hard to come by early in the day.
A shower in the second over of play held up proceedings for about 20 minutes but thereafter the sun shone brilliantly, making conditions extremely hot and uncomfortable for the players.
Mo Vallie was the first overnight batsman to go. He sparred at a ball from Morris and was snapped up by wicketkeeper Klaasen for 69. He had only added one to his overnight score. Then the other overnight batsman Jon-Jon Smuts was dismissed, bowled by Von Berg. He had made a valuable 44 off 100 balls with five fours and a six.
Clyde Fortuin and Harmer then batted slowly in an effort to resurrect the innings which was wobbling at 211 for six, but at 223, Fortuin chipped a ball to short-leg fielding close in, and he was brilliantly caught by De Zorzi – a typical reflex catch.
Harmer put his head down and continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over. He and Aya Gqamane (17) added 36 for the eighth wicket but then Morris struck twice in one over – the 89th of the innings. He had Gqamane caught in the slips and then three balls later Bokako was clean-bowled for a duck, Morris’s fourth victim.
The session was extended by half an hour because nine wickets were down. Then Von Berg, after Harmer had hit him for a six over long-on and a four off successive balls, had his revenge when he trapped Harmer in front for an excellent 46. The fair-haired all-rounder had batted for 110 minutes and had faced 79 balls and hit six fours to go with his six.
Morris finished with 4/42, Dala had 3/67 and Von Berg captured three wickets for 75 in 24 overs. The match is nicely poised after two days, with both teams showing serious intent to battle for first innings supremacy and the match points on offer. Berhardien will resume this morning on 43 with six fours while Morris has so far scored six runs.
Warriors clash evenly poised
At stumps the Titans were on the dreaded Nelson, 111 for five wickets after 46 overs. Although the batting throughout the day was painfully slow at times, this was engrossing franchise stuff with valuable points at stake.
A magnificent spell of bowling by Simon Harmer rocked the visitors and had them in a spin, particularly in the second session when he captured three of the four wickets which fell. For good measure he also took a catch in the slips to get rid of opener Tony de Zorzi for a duck with the score on six for one wicket, the bowler being medium-pacer Tladi Bokako.
Harmer had been introduced into the bowling attack as early as the 13th over and in his initial spell of nine overs between lunch and tea, he captured 3/28. All the batsmen played him most circumspectly.
He had opening batsman Andrea Agathangelou caught at slip for 21 and then number three batsman, Heino Kuhn, after batting solidly for some time, went down the track and skied a ball to deep mid-on, where Anrich Nortje took a comfortable catch.
Suddenly the Titans were looking vulnerable at 49 for three wickets with two new batsmen – Heinrich Klaasen and Farhaan Berhardien - at the crease.
Worse was to follow for the Titans. At 68 Harmer struck again when he had Klaasen (7) caught at a short mid-on position, and the Titans went to tea tottering on 74/4.
Berhardien was adventurous as usual, essaying some reverse-sweeps against Harmer. Henry Davids gave his skipper some support but Harmer completely bottled up one end.
After tea Harmer managed to get one past Davids’s defence and disturbed the bails. It was his fourth wicket, the score was 92/5 and the Warriors were cock-a-hoop.
Chris Morris joined Berhardien but the rapid deterioration of the light spoilt matters. This time play ended 27 overs short after 30 were lost on Thursday
Earlier the Warriors’ first innings was ended on 282, after starting the day on 203 for four wickets. They were confronted by some exceptionally excellent line-and-length bowling from the Titans pace attack.
In particular internationals Morris and Junior Dala were impressive and they were well supported by leg-spinner Shaun von Berg, and the Warriors found runs hard to come by early in the day.
A shower in the second over of play held up proceedings for about 20 minutes but thereafter the sun shone brilliantly, making conditions extremely hot and uncomfortable for the players.
Mo Vallie was the first overnight batsman to go. He sparred at a ball from Morris and was snapped up by wicketkeeper Klaasen for 69. He had only added one to his overnight score. Then the other overnight batsman Jon-Jon Smuts was dismissed, bowled by Von Berg. He had made a valuable 44 off 100 balls with five fours and a six.
Clyde Fortuin and Harmer then batted slowly in an effort to resurrect the innings which was wobbling at 211 for six, but at 223, Fortuin chipped a ball to short-leg fielding close in, and he was brilliantly caught by De Zorzi – a typical reflex catch.
Harmer put his head down and continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over. He and Aya Gqamane (17) added 36 for the eighth wicket but then Morris struck twice in one over – the 89th of the innings. He had Gqamane caught in the slips and then three balls later Bokako was clean-bowled for a duck, Morris’s fourth victim.
The session was extended by half an hour because nine wickets were down. Then Von Berg, after Harmer had hit him for a six over long-on and a four off successive balls, had his revenge when he trapped Harmer in front for an excellent 46. The fair-haired all-rounder had batted for 110 minutes and had faced 79 balls and hit six fours to go with his six.
Morris finished with 4/42, Dala had 3/67 and Von Berg captured three wickets for 75 in 24 overs. The match is nicely poised after two days, with both teams showing serious intent to battle for first innings supremacy and the match points on offer. Berhardien will resume this morning on 43 with six fours while Morris has so far scored six runs.
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