Yaseen Vallie and Tony de Zorzi combined to add an unbeaten 44 runs and take Western Province to 49/1 at the close of an eventful day one in the CSA 4-Day Series clash against the Dafabet Warriors at St George’s Park on Wednesday.
On a day where 21 wickets fell in three sessions, the match was evenly poised, with De Zorzi (15 runs off 50 balls) and Vallie (28 from 47) unbeaten in the WP second innings with a lead of 79 runs
Batting for a second time and a lead of 30 runs, Western Province lost Daniel Smith cheaply for a second time after he fell for five runs off Beyers Swanepoel, becoming the 21st wicket to fall in the day.
Earlier, Wesley Bedja brought Western Province back into contention with a sensational five wicket haul to skittle the home side out for a measly 111.
Matthew Breetzke and Patrick Kruger ended the innings, which lasted just 31 overs, as joint top-scorers on 34 runs, as the right-arm quick claimed five wickets for 19 runs including a maiden from the five overs he bowled.
Jiveshan Pillay fell cheaply, scoring just three to Onke Nyaku before a 35-run partnership between Jordan Hermann and Breetzke took the hosts to 38 when the left hander was removed by George Linde for 12.
Breetzke was bowled by Mthiwekhaya Nabe for 34 from 38 balls, having struck seven boundaries, with the side going to tea on 52/3.
Returning from the break, WP picked up where they left off when Nabe sent Sinethemba Qeshile back to the dugout with the Warriors in trouble on 56/4, still trailing by 85 runs and six wickets in the shed.
Beuran Hendricks removed Rudi Second (10) before Bedja rattled the Warriors cage, claiming the wickets of Tristan Stubbs (12) and Swanepoel (6), while Renaldo Meyer, Siya Simetu and Alfred Mothoa fell without scoring as 20 wickets fell in just over two sessions.
Alongside Bedja’s figures of 5/19, Nabe ended the innings on 2/18 from six overs, as Hendricks, Linde and Nyaku claimed one wicket apiece.
Winning the toss, WP found themselves in early trouble, slipping to 105/6 at lunch after three wickets by Meyer, two by Mothoa and one from Kruger.
They removed the WP top order for 68 runs when Mothoa and Meyer removed Daniel Smith (2) and Vallie (2).
De Zorzi and Gavin Kaplan added 48 runs before the left-hander was caught behind off Kruger for 35, having hit seven boundaries in his 58-ball stay at the crease.
Kaplan struck 10 boundaries on his way to 45 from 53 balls when he fell victim to Mothoa, before Meyer grabbed the wickets of Kyle Verreynne (14) and Nyaku for a duck to leave the visitors on 105 going into the lunch break.
Mothoa and Swanepoel combined to clean up the tail, taking the last four wickets for the addition of just 36 runs.
Swanepoel got rid of Linde (25) and Kyle Simmonds (12) while Mothoa removed Bedja and Nabe without scoring to have them all out halfway through the afternoon session.
Mothoa finished with 4/32 from 8.4 overs as Meyer, who left the field with an apparent injury, and Swanepoel, claimed 3/29 and 2/41, respectively.
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