Double delight for Markram, while Warriors draw

Aiden Markram struck his maiden double-century as he batted through the final day as the Titans forced a draw against the Knights in their 4-Day Domestic Series match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.

The result means that the Titans are highly likely to take their place in the final while their opponents will either be the Knights or the Dolphins, who beat the Imperial Lions by 86 runs at the Wanderers.

The Proteas’ opener, who has a chance of becoming the eighth South African to make a thousand runs in a season, has enjoyed a golden season, striking four centuries so far and averaging 97.

The elegant right-hander played a series of stunning strokes, many of them off the back foot through the covers, in between periods of fierce concentration as he finished unbeaten on 204 in 342 balls, striking 27 fours and a six in the process.

No wonder the Knights’ fielders as well as his teammates clapped him off the field at the tea interval when the captains shook hands on a draw.

It was a match that the Knights controlled for the first 2½ days after taking a first-innings lead of 151.

But then Markram and Elgar got together on Tuesday afternoon and the Knights’ hopes of victory gradually faded as the home side reached 386 for three, 235 runs ahead.

• Rain played spoilsport for the Cape Cobras and ruined their hopes of pushing for victory on the final day of their encounter against the Warriors in Cape Town on Wednesday. 

Not a single ball was bowled at Newlands, where bad light had ended play early on day three and only 52 overs were possible on the first day on Sunday.

Despite the lost time, the hosts were pressing hard for that elusive first win of the campaign after amassing 513 for six declared in their sole innings and having the visitors on the ropes at 259 for nine in reply. 

• Keshav Maharaj recorded the best match analysis by a spinner at the Wanderers Stadium as the Dolphins kept alive their hopes of reaching the final with a handsome win over the Lions on Wednesday. 

The slow left-armer claimed a fabulous seven for 48 in the second innings for a match haul of 13 for 174 as the hosts were shot out for 162 on day four to lose by 86 runs and effectively fall out of play-off contention. 

It was all down to the expertise of Proteas ace Maharaj, whose overall figures were second only to Kagiso Rabada’s 14 for 105 against the same opponents back in 2014/15. 

The Lions, though, will be ruing what may have been after beginning day four in a strong enough position on 21 for one chasing 249.  — SuperSport.com and Cricket SA