Free State dominate through Kock and Hector

Free State took control over Easterns at Benoni after bowling the home team out for 165 and taking a 113-run lead into the second innings. Jaco Booysen and David Wiese managed to get into the 40s and offered some resistance but in the end it was the bowling of Jacob Malao, who claimed 4 for 51, that saw Free State gain the upper hand. Riel de Kock (46 not out) and Benjamin Hector (54 not out), Free State's stars in the first innings, then took them to 126 for 1 at the close, with a healthy lead of 239.

After 23 wickets fell on the first day, some sanity returned to Paarl where Eastern Province and Boland squared up to try and take the match into three days. If the pitch was not bad enough, the sight screen forced a delay in play and then to crown it all a power failure left the scoreboard all but dead. Eastern Province extended their 10-run lead on the first innings to 196, after being bowled out for 186, as useful contributions, considering the pitch, came from Riaan Jeggels (47) and Umar Abrahams (37). Pepler Sandri followed up his four wickets in the first innings to pick up a career best 5 for 32. A target of 197 was always going to be difficult and with Boland struggling at 42 for 4 (Juan Theron 3-11) things looked set for an early Eastern Province win. No close of play score was available at time of publishing.

At Kimberley, Gauteng declared their first innings at 327 for 7 after the mandatory 85 overs, to take a slender one-run lead against Griquas. Blake Snijamn (81) and Warren Dugmore (96), involved in a 139-run second-wicket partnership laid the foundations for the Gauteng innings. This advantage was well taken by Douglas Gain as he helped himself to 53 with the Griqua bowlers sharing the wickets. At close of play Griquas totalled 32 without loss making a result in this match most unlikely.