Final spots up for grabs in last round of Four-Day Series

Dominic Hendricks will hope the frustration that followed the Central Gauteng Lions’ home draw with Boland last week will fuel some extra fury as they face their provincial rivals the Northerns Titans, in what is effectively a knockout match for the teams in the Four-Day Series. 

Just 11 points separate the top four sides on the log, which is topped by the KZN Dolphins, who will face the team in fourth, Western Province, at Newlands. 

That match, with the Lions’ visit to SuperSport Park, will decide which teams meet in the competition’s final, a five-day affair to be hosted by the team that finishes top of the log. 

Hendricks made his first hundred of the season against Boland, seemingly putting his side in a position from which victory looked inevitable. However, a gritty 162 from veteran Pieter Malan, alongside 120 from the impressive Jean du Plessis, ensured Boland batted for a day-and-a-half to earn the draw.

“The pitch didn’t really deteriorate, there was just a bit of variable bounce,” Hendricks said of the Wanderers surface.

“It was a phenomenal effort to take 19 wickets on a batting-friendly surface. It showed good skills and a desire not to turn down a challenge, so I was very chuffed for the bowlers and their monumental effort.”

Hendricks’ positive spin about the outcome aside, there would have been much irritability in the Lions camp, given their dominance for the majority of the match, along with what it meant for their position in the competition. 

A win would have put them at the top of the table; instead they’re third, leaving victory at SuperSport Park as the only viable option if they hope to squeeze into the final. 

“It’s knockout cricket against the Titans, like a semifinal with the winners having the opportunity to play in the final. It’s the Jukskei Derby and we will be up for it.

“We will need to play good, old-fashioned cricket against them keeping things simple. Even if we win on the fourth day, we will be happy, and we won’t worry about what the other teams are doing,” Hendricks said.

He is hoping to welcome Lutho Sipamla back into the Lions’ starting team. The 25-year-old, who has three Test caps to his name and was once viewed as a “next big thing” in local circles, last played a competitive match for the SA A side in Sri Lanka last July.

He was back at training last week, doing drills with Lions’ bowling coaches Allan Donald and Garnett Kruger, and it is understood that he has satisfied their requirements in terms of being ready for a four-day match. His playing status will be dependent on conditions.

“The SuperSport Park pitch has generally done a bit more than the Wanderers pitch this season, and it’s quicker with more bounce,” said Hendricks.

The Dolphins will welcome back Eathan Bosch and SA20 Bowler of the Tournament Ottniel Baartman for their trip to Cape Town against WP.

“It’s going to be a tough encounter against Western Province, who will be back to full strength with a number of players returning from New Zealand. Whether those players play remains to be seen, but we do not take them lightly,” said Dolphins assistant coach Quinton Friend. 

In the remaining two matches, the Warriors travel to Pietermaritzburg to face KZN Inland and North West head to Paarl to play Boland.