Van der Merwe, Tsolekile shoot the lights out

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

ROELOF van der Merwe turned his maiden first-class century into a double hundred, while Thami Tsolekile scored his sixth century on day two of the second round of matches on Friday. Van der Merwe's 205 for the Titans against the Warriors in Benoni fairly flew off 260 balls with 24 fours and three sixes. It took the Titans to a towering total of 539/6 before they declared. By stumps, the Warriors were 158/5 - or 381 runs behind. Tsolekile's 113 for the Lions against the Knights in Potchefstroom took him more than five hours, ate up 235 balls and was brightened by 11 fours. It was also the main reason the Lions will take a lead of 44 runs into the third day's play. The home side were 311/7 at stumps in reply to the Knights' first innings of 267. Having resumed on 20/2, the Lions slipped still further to 68/4. Then a cluster of half-century stands, all featuring Tsolekile, put them back on top. The diminutive wicketkeeper-batsman shared 70 for the fifth wicket with Quinton de Kock, 74 for the sixth in the company of Brett Pelser, and 87 for the seventh with Hardus Viljoen. De Kock was the only other Lion to reach a half-century with 51, but Viljoen will soldier on this morning on 42 not out with Aaron Phangiso unbeaten on five. Dillon du Preez hogged the bowling spotlight for the Knights with his return of 3/25. Back in Benoni, Farhaan Behardien, who scored 74, helped Van der Merwe put on 155 for the fifth wicket before Van der Merwe and Mangaliso Mosehle, who made 67, added 184 for the sixth. In reply, the Warriors crashed to 86/5 before Colin Ingram found sturdy support in Simon Harmer. At the close, Ingram was unbeaten on 59 with Harmer 31 not out in their unbroken stand of 72. Behardien reinvented himself as a bowler, taking 2/5 from four overs.