Hashim's hundred gives Dolphins the lead

Hashim Amla scored his fourth hundred of the season to secure a six-wicket win for the Dolphins over the Warriors at a wet and gloomy Port Elizabeth. A man in prolific form with the bat as well as showing some good captaincy skills, Amla could well be catching the eyes of the national selectors. In six innings this season he has scored 530 runs at an average of 88.33.

A morning that started promisingly for the Warriors was nearly washed away as rain forced the players off the field for an early lunch. The Dolphins had started the day on 28 for 1, still 270 runs behind, and they were soon in trouble with the loss of Ahmed Amla for 25 and Doug Watson for 19.

But Hashim Amla and Dale Benkenstein rescued the innings with a 58-run partnership before the rain came down. Resuming after lunch, the two continued their good work with Hashim going to his hundred before being trapped lbw by Nantie Hayward. The partnership had been worth 193. Benkenstein went on to make 85 not out while Lance Klusener finished the game off in style scoring 34 off 23 balls.

A maiden first-class hundred from Thami Tsolekile and career bests for Rory Kleinveldt (92) and Quentin Friend (51) was not enough for Western Province Boland to get out of jail against the Titans at Willowmoore Park.

Albie Morkel engineered the last three wickets to fall, two with the ball, Quentin Friend being trapped lbw just after reaching his fifty, and Charl Willoughby being caught for 12. Morkel's third, a run-out, sent Paul Adams packing. WPBOL had been bowled out for 373, leaving the Titans a target of 83 that was achieved in the 14th over for the loss of one wicket.

The Lions had been in a strong position overnight at Bloemfontein, but they made things very difficult for themselves after losing Justin Ontong (74) in the ninth over of the morning. With Nicky Boje on the boil and failures from Neil McKenzie, Andrew Hall, HD Ackerman and Werner Coetsee, Free State turned things around as they went to lunch with the Lions 222 for 6, still needing 69 runs.

Adam Bacher, however, was still at the crease and in going to his seventeenth first-class hundred he, together with Ahmed Omar, carried the Lions through to 291 for 7 and a three-wicket win.