Nortje bowls Warriors to 107-run win; Ontong 225 in draw

Right-arm pacer Anrich Nortje's career-best match haul of 9 for 98 helped Warriors pick up their second win of the season in their 2016-17 Sunfoil Series match against Knights in Port Elizabeth. Nortje bagged a career-best 6 for 44 in the first innings to rout Knights for 179 and give Warriors a 160-run first-innings lead. He then took three more in the final innings, and, along with new-ball partner Basheeru-Deen Walters, bowled Warriors to a 107-run win at St George's Park.

Warriors, after being put in, scored 339, courtesy identical scores of 71 from Colin Ackermann and Lesiba Ngoepe, as well as solid contributions from the rest of the order. Pacers Marchant de Lange and Shadley van Schalkwyk inflicted all of the damage, with de Lange removing the top-three and the latter accounting for the bottom-seven to finish with 7 for 82 - his best figures.

Nortje then sent back Luthando Mnyanda and Theunis de Bruyn, the Knights captain, for low scores, but half-centuries from Michael Erlank and David Miller drove Knights to 126 for 2. From there, they fell away, losing their last six wickets for just 19 runs.

Duanne Olivier's five-wicket haul kept Warriors to 236 in their second innings, where they were lifted by a 70 from Lesiba Ngoepe at No. 7. Knights were set 397 and their captain de Bruyn fought hard with a century, but found little support as his team was bowled out for 289.

A run glut between Dolphins and Cape Cobras was drawn at Boland Park. Cobras captain Justin Ontong's double-century stole the show and pulled his team out of serious trouble; Cobras were reeling at 22 for 4 in reply to Dolphins' 478 when Ontong rescued them through a 202-run fifth-wicket partnership with Keegan Petersen, the wicketkeeper, who contributed 86. Ontong added a further 60 with Dayyaan Galiem for the seventh wicket, and 144 for the eighth with No. 9 Dane Piedt (61). The stand ended with Ontong's dismissal for 225 - a knock that contained 24 fours - but despite his career-best effort, Cobras were bowled out for 447 and conceded a lead of 31.

When Dolphins batted, they lost wickets in a cluster on either side of an 83-run third-wicket stand between Divan van Wyk (38) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (56). At 115 for 5, Khaya Zondo, who top scored with 157, and Morne van Wyk (79), the captain and wicketkeeper, came together for a 201-run stand. Dolphins were further boosted by contributions from the tail, led by Robbie Frylinck's 58 at No. 9. Dane Paterson took 5 for 79.

Zondo followed up his first-innings century with an unbeaten 57 in the second. Daryn Smit struck 82 off just 113 balls and put on 64 for the third wicket with van Jaarsveld (30). Van Wyk, unbeaten on 19, was giving Zondo company, having taken Dolphins to 207 for 4 when stumps were drawn on the final day.

Titans captain Henry Davids' unbeaten 150 gave them a 225-run first-innings lead over Lions in their drawn encounter at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom.

When Davids walked out, a solid platform had already been laid by the Titans openers, Heino Kuhn (71) and Aiden Markram (53). Davids then built on it to take Titans from 130 for 2 to 431 for 6 declared. Davids was supported well by No. 8 David Wiese, who struck an unbeaten 71 and helped add 147 unbeaten runs for the seventh wicket.

That, after Lions had been cleaned up for 206 after deciding to bat first. Right-arm medium pacer Malusi Siboto took 7 for 48 to direct the destruction. Lions were helped by contributions from the middle order, with Yaseen Valli (40), Dwaine Pretorius (72) and Mangaliso Mosehle (41) scoring 153 runs between them between Nos. 5 and 7.

Lions put up a much-improved performance in their second innings. Reeza Hendricks (49) and Rassie van der Dussen (76 not out) stitched together 109 for the opening wicket. Nicky van den Bergh, unbeaten on 41, was giving van der Dussen company when play ended with Lions on 187 for 2.

Titans are the current table-toppers with two wins from five matches.