The Knights hold a 115-run lead with still two wickets in hand heading into the second day of the game after having to dig deep in their first innings.

Easterns won the toss in Bloemfontein and elected to bat first, a decision they would soon regret.

Gihahn Cloete - Knights

The visitors from the East Rand were bundled out for just 59 runs a couple of overs after lunch. This was largely down to some fine bowling by the Knights on a wicket that looked like it had something in it.

Some rearguard action by the seamer, Andrew Rasemene, saved some blushes for Easterns after they were reeling at 24/7 after just 17.3 overs. Rasemene would go on to top-score for the visitors with 18 runs off 41 balls, while fellow seamer Jesse Albanie struck 15 off 30 balls to frustrate the Knights bowlers somewhat. Up front, opener Jurie Snyman scored 14 off 42 and was the only other Easterns batter to reach double figures.

The fast bowler, Johan van Dyk, was the pick of the Knights bowlers with 4/6 in 8.1 overs, while the left-arm seamer, Tiaan van Vuuren, fresh off a century for South Africa A against New Zealand A, claimed 3/23 in 9 overs. Sithembile Langa also chipped in with 2/13 in 5 overs.

Debutants Ruan Haasbroek and Cole Abrahams - Knights

In reply, the Knights lost their first wicket in the 4th over when the dangerous Jacques Snyman hit a ball straight down the throat of Rasemene in the deep to fall for 5 runs with the score on 11, off the bowling of Albanie.

Several Knights batters made starts with the willow, but it was only Gihahn Cloete who really managed to dig in, as he was unbeaten on 43 off 89 when stumps were called due to bad light.

Patrick Botha in turn contributed 33 off 39, while opener Isaac Dikgale looked fairly solid before being dismissed for 28. Debutants Ruan Haasbroek and Cole Abrahams added 20 and 18 respectively.

Johan van Dyk took 4/6 in 8.1 overs - Knights

When play was halted, the Knights were on 174/8 after 53 overs.

The former Northern Cape Heat captain, Ernest Kemm, now skipper of Easterns, was the pick of the visitors’ bowlers with 4/62 in 17 overs, while Amman Khan chipped in with 2/21 in 12 overs.

Play at the Mangaung Oval resumes on Friday morning at 10:00, with Cloete and Van Dyk at the crease for the Knights.

Meanwhile, in Division 1, the North West Dragons were on 342/5 at stumps on day one against the Titans at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom.

Ernest Kemm when he was still with the Northern Cape Heat - Morgan Piek

Meeka-Eel Prince was on 104 not out, while captain Wihan Lubbe scored 75, and newly capped Protea Rubin Hermann scored 75, while Raynard van Tonder contributed with 49.

At Newlands in Cape Town, Western Province was bowled out for 193, and at stumps, the defending champions, the Lions were on 92/2.

In Paarl, Boland was bowled out for 156, and the Dolphins were on 185/4 at the close of play, while in Pietermaritzburg, the Warriors were on 90/7 at stumps against the Tuskers.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport