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Lahore Qalandars whimpered to 119 against Quetta Gladiators, who in turn waltzed to their target with nine wickets and six overs to spare

Danyal Rasool24-Feb-2018In a nutshellThis was less a match than an incisive analysis of Lahore Qalandars’ weakness. In an amateur, unthinking batting display, Lahore whimpered to 119 against the Quetta Gladiators, who in turn felt no need to take any risks, and waltzed to the target with nine wickets and six overs to spare.The Qalandars were put in to bat, and Brendon McCullum, opening with Sunil Narine, gave their side the best possible start. Narine smashed Shane Watson for 24 runs in an over as Lahore raced to 45 in the first three overs. McCullum was timing the ball beautifully too, but as soon as Narine fell, Quetta’s bowlers found a way to break in. The first five overs fetched 50, the next 15 fetched 59, and the hollowness of Lahore’s middle order was on full display yet again.Watson was in devastating form, and Asad Shafiq at the other end was the perfect foil to him. Even though the pair took no unnecessary risks – just 41 were scored in the first six – Watson was just warming up. He took Narine for 21 runs in the seventh over, and from thereon Sarfraz Ahmed’s men were coasting. With scoreboard pressure non-existent, Quetta played as they wanted. In the end, the straight drive that sealed the win was a merciful end to a rotten day for Lahore.Where the match was wonLahore were playing a high-risk game. The result hinged on how long they could sustain that intensity. It was crucial for Quetta to strike early, and Narine’s wicket in the fourth over proved vital. Fakhar Zaman couldn’t repeat his heroics from Friday, spooning a return catch to Jofra Archer for one, and a clever review to effect a McCullum lbw saw Lahore lose their top three within 11 balls of each other. With the big three out of the way, Quetta’s stranglehold on the game was virtually invincible.The men that won it
Last year, Lahore nearly defended 59 in a thrilling game they eventually lost by three wickets. A target of 120 could have been tricky, but Shafiq and Watson stomped on Lahore’s hopes. A wicketless Powerplay was followed by the pair finally letting loose, Watson responsible for much of the carnage as he stormed to 50 in just 28 balls. By the time he was dismissed for 66, his side were merely 28 runs away from victory, and the contest was all but over.Nawaz’s record
Mohammad Nawaz would have been perfectly happy with not bowling in the Powerplay overs, but when he did come on, he couldn’t have been much better. Nawaz’s introduction dried up the singles altogether. Bowling a tight, unrelenting line and varying his pace adroitly, Nawaz rendered the the batsmen helpless. In a stunning four-over spell, he accounted for the dangerous McCullum and Cameron Delport, conceding just four runs – the most economical spell ever in the PSL.Moment of the match
Watson is a seasoned T20 professional, and his pride would have taken a dent when Narine took him to task in the third over of Lahore’s innings, walloping him for three fours and two sixes in an over that cost 24 – the most expensive at this year’s PSL so far. Quietly, he began plotting his revenge, and finally pounced in the seventh over of the Gladiators innings. With Narine bowling, Watson hit him for two sixes and two boundaries, and took 21 off his over to give the West Indian a taste of his own medicine.Where they stand
Lahore Qalandars are rock bottom of the table with two losses from two. Quetta have won one and lost the other, and are placed fourth.

With his fifth century of the season – the most by a Gujarat batsman – Priyank Panchal dominated Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Nagpur

The Report by Shashank Kishore in Nagpur01-Jan-2017
ScorecardPriyank Panchal is 151 runs shy of overtaking VVS Laxman’s record for most runs in a Ranji Trophy season•Sunny Shinde

On January 1, 2016, Priyank Panchal wrote in his diary – a habit he had inculcated at the age of 19 – “Need to learn to convert starts and not just be happy with 650-700 runs in a season.” On January 1, 2017 his entry could possibly read: “Aim to convert an unbeaten 144 into a double or possibly a triple-century and help Gujarat reach their first-ever Ranji Trophy final.”During the course of his fifth century of the season, the most by a Gujarat batsman, Panchal almost doubled his previous best aggregate of 665 runs in 2015-16. His innings had flair and grit in equal measure and helped Gujarat dominate on a green-tinged surface that belied expectations.As the day progressed, a wearing Jharkhand attack were ground down further by Parthiv Patel’s aggressive 62 in a third-wicket stand of 139 as Gujarat ended day one of the semi-final against Jharkhand on 283 for 3 at Nagpur’s old Civil Lines ground.During the course of his 252-ball vigil, Panchal also displaced Wasim Jaffer from fourth position in the list of highest run-getters in a Ranji season. With potentially another day’s batting and at least one more innings to come, the record books could have a fresh entry at the top. Panchal is only 151 runs short of VVS Laxman’s all-time record of 1415, achieved in 1999-2000.Jharkhand, without the injured Ashish Kumar, their best fast bowler this season, struggled for rhythm with the new ball. Waywardness in the first six overs, where six boundaries flowed, set the tone. Panchal began with two nonchalant flicks for four in the second over, off Vikash Singh, and his opening partner Samit Gohel, who made a record-breaking, unbeaten 359 in his previous innings, drove Ajay Yadav confidently at the other end.It took the introduction of Rahul Shukla, who impressed with deceptive pace and accuracy, to stall Gujarat. He hit Panchal on the box, induced an edge that flew past third slip and then beat him with a superb outswinger. Jharkhand finally broke through in the 19th over as Gohel jabbed at a length ball from Vikash to gully where Virat Singh completed a fine, low catch.Panchal, at the other end, was unaffected. So confident was he in his abilities that he played the cut shot even with two points in place. So good was his timing that he beat the man in the deep thrice. He got eight of his 21 fours with the cut shot. Panchal showed proper technique against the bouncers too – dropping his wrists and swaying out of the way or fully ducking under them with the bat nice and low. He did get in trouble when he stabbed at short balls away from the body and if Nagpur had provided a two-paced pitch, he may have been surprised by the one that reared up. But on this true-paced pitch, he was able to adjust. Still Jharkhand could have dismissed Panchal for 110 in the 59th over, but Ishank Jaggi gave him a reprieve.Gujarat’s No. 3 Bhargav Merai, as he’s often done this season, got off to a solid start but wasted it when he was caught behind off Vikash for 39. The delivery was good, but the catch even better – Ishan Kishan took a step or two to his right before diving full length to take the ball, one-handed and in front of first slip. Gujarat were 127 for 2 but with little support for Vikash from the other fast bowlers, Jharkhand’s hopes of building on that wicket were on left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, who is also the season’s highest wicket-taker. However, there was hardly any turn for him on a surface where the ball slid on nicely. Parthiv’s swift footwork – both forward and back – made life even tougher for Nadeem, who toiled over 25 wicketless overs.Shortly before stumps Kaushal Singh, the part-time offspinner, got one to straighten from around the stumps to trap Parthiv lbw after a stylish half-century. But Manprit Juneja and Panchal saw off the final 45 minutes of play and Gujarat took the honours on New Year’s day.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has urged the set batsmen to carry on and make a big score rather than leave it for the others in the batting group

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur08-Nov-2015Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has urged the batsmen in the side to carry on and make a big score once they are set instead of leaving it for the others in the batting group. Having clinched a 145-run win in the first ODI, Bangladesh will look to wrap the series in the second ODI in Mirpur on Monday.In the first ODI, Mushfiqur Rahim struck his fourth century that guided the hosts to a competitive 273, before Shakib Al Hasan’s five-wicket haul sealed the big win.Tamim said that if Mushfiqur hadn’t made the big score or hadn’t added 119 for the fifth wicket with Sabbir Rahman during a critical phase, things would have panned out differently. A set batsman should try to make the big score himself, Tamim said referring to his innings of 40 which ended in the 24th over after 96 minutes in the middle.”It is good for the team that someone comes up with a big score,” Tamim said. “But none of us should think about it. I got out for 40 and then what if [Sabbir Rahman] Rumman and Mushfiqur didn’t do well? The question would have been different. Whoever gets set, should try to score big. It shouldn’t be left to others.”My dismissal wasn’t great. I was set. I should have batted longer. I was doing what I wanted but my application, in that delivery, wasn’t correct. I was trying to hit the ball over cover but I ended up playing that way [long-on]. It was a mistake. I have to start from zero in the next match. I was on 40 yesterday so in that regard, it was a big miss. I wasn’t scoring freely at the time of my dismissal but I could have covered it. I will try to play a bigger innings tomorrow.”Tamim also said that there was some unusual extra bounce in the Mirpur pitch but conditions would get easier once batsmen spent more time in the middle. When asked whether the Bangladesh batting line-up has the potential to make 300-plus scores, Tamim agreed saying that they can do it against most bowling attacks if things go according to plan.”There was extra bounce on some deliveries in the early stages, which isn’t usual here,” Tamim said. “But I felt it was easier to play the pace bowlers than the spinners. There was some turn, either quick or slow. It took a bit of time to adjust. But those who batted for 20-30 balls, it became easier for them. We thought we would get around 250-260 when Mushfiqur and Sabbir were batting quite well. I think 273 is a good score on this wicket.”If everything goes to plan and we bat properly, we can get a bigger score [like 320-plus]. And that can be against any team. We have to keep an eye on their bowling too.”

South Australia’s interest in the Victorian legspinner James Muirhead has cost them a $15,000 fine after they were found to have breached Cricket Australia’s rules on player movements

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2013South Australia’s interest in the Victorian legspinner James Muirhead has cost them a $15,000 fine after they were found to have breached Cricket Australia’s rules on player movements. Muirhead, 19, was given a rookie contract by Cricket Victoria in July last year and made his Sheffield Shield debut against the Redbacks in Adelaide in January.But a Cricket Australia grievance tribunal has found that during the 2012-13 season, the South Australian Cricket Association held discussions with Muirhead before informing Cricket Victoria, thus breaking the rules regarding to contracted players. The tribunal made its ruling on April 3 but delayed a decision on its penalty until reconvening this week.Rule 4 of Cricket Australia’s Rules for Interstate Competitions states that a “state association must not (and must ensure that its constituent clubs do not) hold discussions with a CA contracted player or a state contracted player who is bound to another state association concerning the possible transfer of that player without first informing the player’s home state association”.Keith Bradshaw, the SACA chief executive, said: “SACA has always maintained that it has not breached Rule 4 of the Rules for Interstate Competitions but accepts that the Cricket Australia grievance tribunal process is now complete and a $15,000 penalty issued”.Muirhead had made his BBL debut for the Adelaide Strikers in the 2011-12 summer before he was given his rookie deal with Victoria. However, he switched to the Melbourne Renegades for the 2012-13 season.

Matt Coles, Charlie Shreck and Darren Stevens took three wickets apiece as Kent dominated the first day of their County Championship match against Northamptonshire

12-Apr-2012
ScorecardMatt Coles claimed 3 for 32 as Northamptonshire slumped to 132 all out after choosing to bat•PA Photos

Matt Coles, Charlie Shreck and Darren Stevens took three wickets apiece as Kent dominated the first day of their County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Northampton.The home side were bowled out before tea for a paltry 132, with Alex Wakely top-scoring with 33 and Coles, who hit a hundred at No. 9 against Yorkshire last week, taking the best figures of 3 for 32. A partnership of 83 between West Indies international Brendan Nash and Ben Harmison then helped Kent to 127 for 3 at the close.Northamptonshire won the toss but they lost opener Rob Newton for 7 in the fifth over when he edged Mark Davies to James Tredwell at first slip. It was slow going during a chilly morning session and Stephen Peters was the next batsman back in the pavilion after being trapped lbw by Coles.Kyle Coetzer crawled to 11 off 60 balls before he fell cheaply by smashing Shreck to Nash at cover and captain David Sales was to perish on 13 in the penultimate over before lunch when his edge off Shreck was superbly taken at second slip by Tredwell diving low to his right.Shreck then picked up his third wicket in the ninth over of the afternoon when he pinned Ireland wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien lbw for 12. James Middlebrook threw his wicket away when he launched Coles high into the air and Kent captain Rob Key took the catch at midwicket.Chaminda Vaas lasted just three balls without scoring before he became Stevens’ first victim when he nudged him to Geraint Jones. Wakely then fell to Stevens, caught leg before, and the same man bowled Lee Daggett two balls later.The innings was brought to an end when David Willey, who provided some resistance with 24, was well caught by Davies at square leg off Coles.In reply, Kent lost Key in the eighth over when he was trapped lbw by Brooks and Scott Newman followed for 26 two overs later when he slashed Brooks to Middlebrook at gully. Harmison played confidently before he ran himself out when he was sent back by Nash and Willey made a direct hit from point.Nash then survived the remaining four overs with nightwatchman Davies to ensure their side will start tomorrow in a strong position.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in Mumbai

The Preview by Nitin Sundar01-May-2011

Match facts

Monday, May 2 Mumbai
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Adam Gilchrist returns to the Wankhede, where he played one of his best Test innings back in 2001•AFP

Big picture

Having played only six games, Kings XI Punjab are in a far better position than their eighth place in the points table suggests. They will know, though, that they could have been much better off if not for defeats in their previous two games. The bowlers came a cropper in the run-fest against Delhi Daredevils, before the batting misfired against Kolkata Knight Riders. Punjab’s other problem is potential rustiness. They have played only twice in ten days, a luxury rarely afforded in a tournament with mind-bogglingly fast turn-arounds. Positions in the league have changed with the randomness of a top-end washing machine; the next few days could be Punjab’s chance to move up the ladder.Their defeat in Jaipur notwithstanding, Mumbai Indians have been a clinical and efficient juggernaut. If anything, they will be smarting from the drubbing at Rajasthan Royal’s hands. Sachin Tendulkar has had a couple of failures after a strong start to the tournament. Davy Jacobs and Ambati Rayudu have also gone off the boil in the last week. Punjab’s bowlers should brace for a strong resurgence. Their batsmen should find armoured toe-caps since Lasith Malinga will once again look to sling down those yorkers.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai: LWWWW (third in points table)
Punjab: LLWWW (eighth in points table)

Team talk

Abhishek Nayar’s place in the Punjab XI will come under scrutiny. Paras Dogra or Mandeep Singh could come in if they look to bolster the batting. They might also choose to bench one of their three spinners, in which case either Piyush Chawla or Bipul Sharma will sit out.Mumbai might have run out of reasons to retain R Sathish. T Suman will consider himself unlucky if he misses out again.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

Paul Valthaty loves to get a half-step forward and hit cleanly through the line. Lasith Malinga loves to push batsmen like Valthaty into their crease with scorching yorkers. The former is from Mumbai. The latter plays for Mumbai. The real fans at the Wankhede will root for Valthaty. One way or the other, this mini-battle should be fun to watch.Adam Gilchrist played one of his most memorable Test innings at this very ground, back in 2001. He came up against Harbhajan Singh, on the threshold of greatness, and tamed him with an unforgettable assault. Ten years hence, Gilchrist has called time on an illustrious career, and enjoys himself in the IPL. Ten years hence, Harbhajan has managed to produce sparks of brilliance without reprising 2001. Expect fireworks when he runs in to Gilchrist on Monday.

Prime numbers

• Malinga has the most wickets (17), the best strike-rate (9.7) as well as the best average (9.64) in the tournament
• Harbhajan and Malinga have picked up two of the three five-fors in the tournament

The chatter

“They are the best team in the competition, no doubt about that. They have a star-studded line-up that includes some good Indian domestic talent.”

Junaid Siddique, the Bangladesh opener, has been ruled out of the unofficial four-day Test series against South Africa after injuring his hand while fielding on day two in Mirpur

Cricinfo staff25-Apr-2010Junaid Siddique, the Bangladesh opener, has been ruled out of the unofficial four-day Test series against South Africa after injuring his hand while fielding on day two in Mirpur. Junaid, captaining Bangladesh A, hurt himself while fielding in the slips and faces at least a ten-day lay-off.”He had three stitches in his right hand and needs at least 10 to 12 days to recover from it. There is no chance for him to play the second four-dayer also,” said the Bangladesh chief selector Rafiqul Alam.The second unofficial Test begins April 28. Bangladesh will then host a one-day tournament against South Africa A and West Indies A. They will then play two four-day games against West Indies A.

Azhar Mahmood, who had been appointed on a temporary basis for the New Zealand series, will continue as the assistant coach in all formats

Danyal Rasool28-Apr-2024Jason Gillespie, the former Australian fast bowler, has been announced as Pakistan’s new Test coach, while former South African batter Gary Kirsten has been named their white-ball coach. Azhar Mahmood, who had been appointed on a temporary basis for the New Zealand series, will continue as the assistant coach in all formats.The three coaches have been appointed on two-year contracts following a recruitment process.The position of the head coach had been vacant since Grant Bradburn, who took over from Saqlain Mushtaq last year, quit in January to join Glamorgan as head coach. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had approached other high-profile names, including Shane Watson, who ultimately pulled out of the race.Kirsten is expected to take over from the England tour, which will feature a four-match T20I series starting on May 22 in Leeds. The last game of the series will be on May 30 before the team will fly out to the USA and the Caribbean for the T20 World Cup. Gillespie’s first assignment will be the Bangladesh series in August, a two-Test series.The announcements were made by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi at a press conference in Lahore.”Their stellar track records precede them, and I warmly welcome them to the Pakistan cricket family,” Naqvi said of Kirsten and Gillespie.”Jason’s coaching career has been marked by success both at the domestic and international levels, with a focus on player development and achieving excellence in team performance. Gary’s coaching career has been marked by his ability to instill a winning mentality, develop young talent, and achieve success at the highest levels of the game, making him one of the most respected and sought-after coaches in cricket.”In this background, I have every confidence that their expertise will guide our players to reach new heights, aligning with their inherent talent and the expectations of our passionate fans. These high-quality appointments also present a remarkable opportunity for our players to glean insights from these seasoned professionals, refining their skills and fortifying their cricketing acumen.”The PCB is unwavering in its commitment to furnish the national team with top-tier resources and facilities, fostering an environment conducive to unlocking their full potential and consistently delivering stellar performances.”Gillespie has held various coaching roles around the world, though he has never been head coach of an international Test side. He enjoyed considerable success as head coach of Yorkshire, where they were promoted from Division Two in his first season and went on to win titles in 2014 and 2015. He has also taken up T20 coaching roles with Kings XI Punjab and Adelaide Strikers, as well as Sussex and South Australia.Kirsten’s most famous coaching achievement came as head coach of India, where he worked from 2008-11, and won the 2011 ODI World Cup. He was head coach of South Africa for the two years that followed, and is currently Gujarat Titans’ batting coach.Crucially, Naqvi said that Kirsten and Gillespie will be with the Pakistan side for the entire length of their contracts instead of flying in for specific tours and series. In the past, this has been a sticking point for overseas coaches, with PCB’s negotiations with Watson thought to include clauses that permitted him to be away from Pakistan when the white-ball side wasn’t in action. Naqvi also said he hoped to have Gillespie involved with domestic red-ball cricket, instead of focusing solely on the Test side.That the PCB have eventually managed to land two of the highest profile coaching names – the first time Pakistan have appointed split coaches for different formats – has internally been viewed as a significant win for the board at a time of considerable tumult. While the PCB did not declare the details of their financial agreements, it is believed Gillespie and Kirsten’s recompense will be higher than head coaches have ever been paid in Pakistan cricket before. This is both a reflection of the challenges of attracting bigger names to commit full-time to Pakistan cricket, as well as the bolstered financial strength of the PCB thanks to ICC revenue, which rose from an $16 million to $34 million in the current rights cycle.

The allrounder will bring his superb career to an end at the conclusion of the current BBL

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2023Dan Christian, one of the most decorated T20 cricketers in history, has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the ongoing BBL with Sydney Sixers.Currently Christian, 39, has played 405 T20s amassing 5809 runs and taking 280 wickets. Selection permitting, he will have at least four more matches with Sixers guaranteed two shots at reaching the BBL final having finished in the top two of the regular season.”Yesterday at training I told my Sydney Sixers team-mates that I’ll be retiring from playing at the end of the BBL season,” Christian posted on Twitter on Saturday morning. “Sydney Smash tonight, followed by our last round game against the Hurricanes, and then the finals.”Hopefully we can go all the way again this season, but regardless, it’s been a great run. I’ve achieved things and made some memories that I could only have dreamt of as a kid.”
Christian has enjoyed success all around the world over the last decade as his career became increasingly focused on T20. Since 2010, he has won nine domestic T20 titles, most recently the 2020-21 BBL with Sixers, two years after he helped Melbourne Renegades to the prize.Those two BBL campaigns showed the impact Christian can have: in 2018-19 for Renegades he made 254 runs and claimed 15 wickets (including being player of the match in the low-scoring final) then in 2020-21 hit 272 runs with a strike-rate of 182.55 and claimed 15 wickets.His last first-class match came in 2018 although there was a surprise return to Australia’s ODI side in 2021 when he played against West Indies in the Caribbean with the side missing several first-choice players due to Covid restrictions.Dan Christian’s T20 titles•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

He returned to T20I cricket at the same time, after a gap of four years, featuring against West Indies and Bangladesh before being named as a reserve for Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup campaign.”What I didn’t expect to learn as a kid though, is how many people I was going to come in contract with that have had an influence on my career and ended up becoming lifelong friends,” he added. “I’m looking forward to now having the time to catch up with you all and not having to use the excuse: “Sorry, I’ve got cricket.”Christian is a chance to head into coaching. He worked as a coaching consultant for the Netherlands at the recent T20 World Cup in Australia.

South Africa Test captain tunes up ahead of the series against India in mid-December

Firdose Moonda22-Nov-2021South Africa’s Test captain Dean Elgar signalled his return to full fitness from an abductor injury with a hundred in his third red-ball innings this summer as the Titans registered their first win of the season. Elgar, who sustained the niggle during the T20 domestic competition, was one of four centurions for the Titans, who beat Western Province by an innings and 139 runs.”The most important thing was that he got an opportunity to spend time at the crease and he took it. He has had a difficult few weeks so his goal was to make sure he is batting for a long period of time, knowing that if he does that, the runs will come,” Mandla Mashimbyi, Titans coach told ESPNcricinfo.Elgar and his opening partner Grant Mokoena, who top-scored with 154, shared in an opening stand of 231 before Jiveshan Pillay and Ayabulela Gqamane contributed 113* and 117* respectively to take the Titans to 647 for 7 declared. Despite the towering total, Mashimbyi indicated batting at Newlands was not as straightforward as the scorecard made it seem. “It was not a typical Cape Town wicket. It was a bit slowish so the batter really had to knuckle down,” he said. “We found that once guys got in, things became a little easier.”Western Province batters barely managed that. There were only two scores over 40 in their first innings as Simon Harmer’s 7 for 76 forced the follow-on, 452 runs behind. Harmer finished the match with 10 wickets, with Western Province bowled out for 313 in their second dig, where Daniel Smith and Kyle Verreynne made half-centuries.The win puts the Titans in fourth place on the table and, with one round of fixtures to go before a break, Mashimbyi is hoping for a second victory in the Cape, over Boland this week, to consolidate their position in the top-half. For Elgar, the fixture will be doubly important as he seeks to maximise his competitive batting time ahead of South Africa’s three-Test series against India, that begins in mid-December.”Dean just wants to work on a couple of specifics: things like getting into good positions and watching the ball and it’s just about emphasising those points,” Mashimbyi said. “He knows his game well and he has been playing a long time, so with some more time in the middle, he will be ready for the Tests.”

In other results:

Division One

• The Lions maintained their place at the top of the points table with an innings-and-30-run victory over Boland at the Wanderers. After bowling Boland out for 170, new ODI call-up Ryan Rickelton scored 117 as the Lions took a 180-run lead after their first innings. Boland were skittled out for 150 in their second innings with Duanne Olivier taking 5 for 57. Olivier finished with eight wickets in the match and is the competition’s leading bowler with 20 wickets at an average of 12.30.
• The Warriors have climbed to third on the log after their 130-run win over North West in Potchefstroom. Edward Moore, Lesiba Ngoepe and Diego Rosier scored half-centuries to take the Warriors to a first innings 334. North West took the lead, scoring 350, thanks largely to Wesley Marshall’s 94 before a big second innings from the Warriors swung the advantage their way. Matthew Breetzke’s 152 and Rudi Second’s 103* allowed them to declare on 342 for 2 and set North West 349 to win. They were bowled out for 218.
• Despite the win, the Warriors could not leapfrog the Knights, who are in second place after a draw against the Dolphins in a weather-affected match in Durban. The Knights bowled their hosts out for 226 and then declared their first innings closed on 397 for 4, with Matthew Kleinveldt contributing 177 but their 171-run lead could not force a result. The Dolphins second innings had reached 174 for 5 by the end of the fourth day.

Division Two

• Sean Whitehead became the fourth South African to take all 10 wickets in an innings as South Western Districts earned a 120 run win over Easterns. Whitehead’s performance came in the fourth innings of the match, with Easterns set a target of 186 runs to win. They were dismissed for 65. Whitehead took 15 in the match all told and is now joint-third on the overall bowling charts. Leus du Plooy’s 91 and 85* made him the match’s highest run-scorer.
• Kwa-Zulu-Natal Inland lead the Division Two points table after a seven-wicket win over Border. Thomas Kaber’s 103* helped Border post 384 in their first innings which KZN Inland matched exactly. Tshepang Dithole scored 162 while Kaber took 5 for 109. Luke Schlemmer’s 6 for 31 saw Border dismissed for 106 in their second innings and KZN Inland reached the target after losing just three wickets.
• In Polokwane, Limpopo and Northern Cape played out a draw despite a result appearing agonisingly close. Northern Cape were set 126 to win the match and finished on 121 for 7 with captain Aubrey Swanepoel unbeaten on 44 at the end. Earlier, Swanepoel took 7 for 56 as Northern Cape bowled Limpopo out for 290 and replied with 350, after Rivaldo Moonsamy’s 101. Limpopo were dismissed for 185 in their second innings, which gave Northern Cape an opportunity to go for victory but they were unable to close out the game.