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Cobras in the driving seat

Benoni - The Cape Cobras continued to dominate the second day's play against the Titans in their crucial Sunfoil Series clash at Willowmoore Park on Friday.

The hosts finished the day on 65-2 in their second innings, still 114 runs behind.

A ton from Stiaan van Zyl, his tenth in first-class cricket, helped set the foundation for the visitors while Justin Kemp contributed 73 to help the visitors to 373 all out with a solid lead of 179 in the bank. Beuran Hendricks then picked up two wickets as the Mobile Cape Cobras seized control against the defending champions.

The morning session was relatively action packed with Dane Piedt, sent out as a nightwatchman, digging in for a few minutes and adding 17 before he was dismissed leg-before by Farhaan Behardien.

Skipper Justin Ontong then struggled to get going and was out after adding just four runs with CJ de Villiers picking up his first wicket.

Yaseen Vallie added 36 off 37 balls before he was out to JP de Villiers and Dane Vilas followed after facing just six balls.

The Titans’ bowlers continued to toil while Van Zyl dug in and helped his side gain the ascendency by the lunch break on the second day. The left-hander had to go to lunch on 97*, but passed the hundred mark shortly after the break.  He made it to 123 before Van der Merwe got the breakthrough with a caught and bowled effort.

Johann Louw and Kemp the put on 60-runs for the eight wicket before Louw was dismissed for 28, with Behardien picking up his third wicket.

Kemp and new man Hendricks stood firm, though, and the pair continued to frustrate their hosts as they stuck it out until tea.

Rowan Richards struck after the break, bowling Hendricks. Charl Langeveldt, however, stuck around for a crafty 23-run partnership with Kemp before the former Cape Cobras' skipper was dismissed by Richards, also bowled.

The Cape Cobras were in firm control, though, with runs in the bank and conditions favouring the bowlers. The visitors made it count, too, dismissing Heino Kuhn for 14 and Henry Davids for a five-ball duck as Hendricks got off to a roaring start to help put the Cobras in the driving seats by the end of day two.

Teams:

Titans:

Heino Khun, Francois Le Clus, CJ de Villiers, Graeme van Buuren, Henry Davids (captain), Roelof van der Merwe, Farhaan Behardien, Mangaliso Mosehle (wicketkeeper), JP de Villiers, Rowan Richards, Shaun von Berg

Cape Cobras:


Alistair Gray, Andrew Puttick, Stiaan van Zyl, Justin Ontong (captain), Yaseen Vallie, Dane Vilas (wicketkeeper), Justin Kemp, Johann Louw, Dane Piedt, Charl Langeveldt, Beuran Hendricks
 
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