OUDTSHOORN – Wayne Parnell claimed four wickets to hand the Cape Cobras complete control over the Highveld Lions at the end of a shortened day one of their Sunfoil Series clash at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn on Thursday.
The Proteas all-rounder finished with an economical 4/26 in 18.3 overs as the visitors were bundled out for 126 – in what is the first franchise match being played at the venue.
The match also marked the coaching debut of Ashwell Prince, who has replaced Paul Adams, and the former Proteas batsman would have been pleased with how the competition strugglers began 2017.
The Cobras entered the new year bottom of the table after losing three and drawing two of their five matches to date.
And after winning the toss and fielding, they bowled with discipline and control to leave their opponents out in 63.3 overs, before reaching stumps on 19/1.
Six wickets fell before lunch as Jason Smith impressed with 2/8 in eight overs, before bad light held up the home side’s charge when well over an hour was lost midway through the afternoon session.
All-rounders Dwaine Pretorius (35) and Wiaan Mulder (31 not out) then added some respectability to the total, but the visitors were all out for a disappointing total.
New Cobras captain Dane Piedt also impressed with 2/32.
The Cape side suffered an early blow when Andrew Puttick was forced to retire hurt in Hardus Viljoen’s second over, with Stiaan van Zyl (6) falling to the same bowler just under six over later.
However, Prince’s side closed only 107 behind and with nine wickets still in hand.
* In Durban, Colin Ackermann extended his advantage at the top of the run-scoring charts with another half-century but it was the Dolphins who held the advantage over the Warriors.
The right-hander hit 81 (156 balls, 8x4) and extended his season aggregate to 580 runs after his team lost the toss and were asked to bat first at Kingsmead. However, they were bundled out for 231, with the hosts then replying with 39/0 by stumps.
The men from the Eastern Cape will be ruing what could have been as they threw away a good start to 2017 by twice collapsing on the east coast, the second time seeing six wickets lost for only 30 as Senuran Muthusamy claimed a career-best four wickets.
Edward Moore (37) and Gionne Koopman (22) had given the Warriors a decent start as they reached 83/1 just before lunch.
But the loss of the latter as well as Lesiba Ngoepe (4) and Yaseen Vallie (4) left them 99/4 after the interval, before a 102-run fifth-wicket stand go them back on track.
Led by top-scorer Ackermann’s third 50 of the season to go with his two hundreds as well as Somila Seyibokwe’s second – he made 54 (109 balls, 9x4) – things were looking more positive.
But an outstanding 4/49 by slow left-armer Muthusamy sparked a collapse that ended the Warriors’ innings in 80.4 overs.
Injury returnee and Proteas all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo took 2/31 and Mthokozisi Shezi 2/38.
Muthusamy also opened the batting for the Dolphins and was 10 not out at the close, alongside Divan van Wyk (25) as the home side closed 192 runs behind.