There were centuries, five-wicket hauls and matches going deep into the fourth day. There were established stars stepping up and new players catching the eye. From a purely cricketing perspective, South Africa could not have asked for much more after seven months in hibernation.

Established Proteas opener Dean Elgar made an early claim for the permanent South African Test captaincy after Faf du Plessis’s resignation from the role following the England series earlier this year.

Elgar scored 101 for the Titans in their first innings against the Cobras. What made the innings significant was that Elgar’s score contributed more than two thirds of the Titans’ total of 150. It’s only the fifth time in first-class cricket history that a batsman has scored a century when a team has scored 150 or lower.

Elgar added a second innings 58 to lay a foundation for his team, which fellow Proteas batsman Theunis de Bruyn built on. The Titans chased down 316 in the final innings to win by two wickets.

De Bruyn scored 127 in the second innings and lower-order batsman Junior Dala scored an unbeaten 41 to steer the Titans over the line. For the Cobras, left-arm spinner George Linde claimed nine wickets in the match, including five for 65 in the first innings.

Elgar has been candid that he would like a crack at captaining the Proteas, but he is not the only one. Proteas left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has also expressed interest and he, like Elgar, did his chances no harm with seven wickets in the match against the Lions.

It was a positive development for new Proteas convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang and director of cricket Graeme Smith. Another boost for the Proteas hierarchy was that the top three wicket takers in round one were all left-arm spinners. Linde, Maharaj and the Titans’ Tabraiz Shamzi, who took seven wickets in the match, all caught the eye.

After a single wicket in the first innings against the Lions, Maharaj took six for 101 for the Dolphins in their second innings at Kingsmead to help secure a comfortable nine-wicket win on day four.

It was a good win for the Dolphins against the defending champions after they posted a massive 458 for three declared in their first innings in response to the Lions 258 all out.

Sarel Erwee (199) and debutant Keegan Petersen (173) put on a record 344 for the second wicket for the Dolphins. It was the highest partnership for any wicket at Kingsmead, surpassing the previous record stand of 316 by Mark Bruyns and Errol Stewart for KwaZulu-Natal against Boland in 1998/99.

Allan Donald’s first match as head coach of the Knights (out of Bloemfontein) started with a bang as opener Jacques Snyman blasted the fastest-ever four-day domestic series century. Snyman thrashed his way to a hundred before lunch on day one – the first pre-lunch ton in more than 40 years – against an understrength Warriors.

The right-handed opener, playing red-ball franchise cricket for only the second time, plundered 18 fours and two sixes in his destructive 78-ball exhibition of 109 at the Mangaung Oval.

His performance, supported by half-centuries from Raynard van Tonder (85), Pite van Biljon (53) and debutants Matthew Kleinveldt (73)  and Farhaan Behardien (75), allowed the Knights to declare on 430 for eight. 

The Warriors were forced to withdraw six players from the team due to Covid-19-related issues. Two players tested positive and another four were withdrawn as a precaution as they had been in contact with the infected pair.

After being flayed by Snyman and his teammates, the Warriors were bundled out for 158 in reply. Snyman snapped up three wickets to add to his batting heroics while Shaun von Berg took four for 54.  

The Knights only added 93 in their second innings, declaring with eight wickets down and setting the Warriors a target of 366. The Knights wrapped up the match by bowling the visitors out for 186 with Mbulelo Budaza taking four for 47. DM