DAY 3: Ngoepe, Stuurman, and Moreki fill their boots

Glenton Stuurman enhanced Goldrush Boland’s chances of defeating the Momentum Multiply Titans by taking a well-earned five-wicket haul at Boland Park. Stuurman’s brilliance helped the hosts dismiss the Titans for 366 and enforce the follow-on. At stumps, the Titans were on 39 for one, trailing by 211 runs with nine wickets in hand.

Stuurman made good use of the surface, something the Titans failed to do effectively on the first and second day of the contest, as he registered his 17th first-class five-wicket haul. He took six wickets for 61 runs in 22 overs.

The other four Titans wickets fell to Boland’s most experienced player, Shaun von Berg. The seasoned spinner wound back time as he bagged four wickets for 95 runs in 30.3 overs.

Donovan Ferreira headed a middle-order resistance to Boland’s quest to restrict the Titans’ reply to a score below 400 runs. The Titans’ captain scored 123 runs from 140 balls and shared a sturdy 171-run partnership with Dayyaan Galiem that kept the visitors in the contest.

Galiem farmed the strike after Ferreira’s dismissal and worked his way to an unbeaten 110 from 210 balls. However, the allrounder ran out of partners and the Titans slumped to a below-par first innings score. The visitors, who were following on, had Lesego Senokwane (19*) and Keegan Petersen at the crease at the close of play.

KABER’S TRIPLE STRIKE TURNS TIDE FOR WARRIORS AT ST GEORGE’S PARK

Thomas Kaber took three wickets to put the Dafabet Warriors in a strong position in the final session of the third day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against WSB Western Province at St George’s Park on Saturday. Western Province was on 133 for four at the close of play. The visitors need 220 runs to win with six wickets in hand.

The Warriors, who won the toss and chose to bat first, scored 281 runs in the first innings. Western Province replied with a total of 182. Matthew Breetzke and Muhammad Manack scored half-centuries to lift the hosts to 253 for eight declared in the third innings.

Breetzke and Manack added 104 runs for the third wicket as they swelled the hosts’ lead over Western Province. Breetzke clubbed eight fours and launched two sixes for his 79-ball 66, while Manack scored 53 off 87 deliveries.

Tshepo Moreki broke Thomas Kaber and Duanne Olivier’s stubborn eighth-wicket stand that added 76 runs to the Warriors’ total. The wicket brought up the 31-year-old’s second first-class five-wicket haul. Moreki finished the innings with five wickets for 62 runs in 17.1 overs.

Kaber, who contributed an unbeaten 34 with the bat in the Warriors’ second innings, spun his way to three wickets for 23 runs in eight overs as the hosts improved their chance for victory against Western Province. Jiveshan Pillay (53) scored his first half-century for Western Province, but couldn’t kick on.

NGOEPE ANCHORS DRAGONS WITH GRITTY TON IN TUSKERS CHASE

Lesiba Ngoepe clubbed a steady century as he led the Eastvaal Renault Dragons to 370 for five in their reply to the Moothee Ram Tuskers’ first innings score of 399. The Dragons trail the hosts by 29 runs with five wickets in hand.

Ngoepe crunched 23 fours on his way to 154 off 206 balls. The opener put the Dragons in a strong position through his 153-run second-wicket stand with Raynard van Tonder, who made a valuable 108-ball 73, that featured 10 fours and a single six, to help the visitors to close the gap.

Ruan de Swardt, who strode to the middle in the wake of Van Tonder’s dismissal, shared an 85-run fifth-wicket stand with Ngoepe as the visitors inched closer to the Tuskers’ score. The allrounder was unbeaten on 55 from 108 balls at stumps.

Hardus Viljoen and Ziyaad Abrahams took a brace of wickets each for the Tuskers as the hosts attempted to stop the Dragons in their tracks. Viljoen finished the day with two wickets for 103 runs in 21 overs, while Abrahams had two scalps for 56 runs in 20 overs.