Gauteng start season in style

Gauteng 188 for 4 (Motaung 44, Snijman 47) lead Northerns 147 for 9 dec (Burger 4-49, de Bruin 3-44) by 41 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

The 2004-05 South African domestic season kicked off in glorious sunshine at the Wanderers in Johannesburg today, with Gauteng hosting Northerns under the amateur wing of the United Cricket Board's Provincial A competition. With the professionals starting tomorrow, cricket lovers are in for a treat, with over 500 days of cricket approaching.

The young Northerns team declared on 147 for 9 after a shaky start to their season, as Shane Burger (4 for 49), Gerhard de Bruin (3 for 44), and Johnson Mafa (2 for 38) took advantage of the batsmen's poor shot-selection. Gerald Dros (27) and Kruger van Wyk (37) were the only Northerns pair to offer any resistance, with a 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

When bad light stopped play 5.4 overs early, Gauteng had tipped the scales in their favour with some positive batting, and ended on 188 for 4, a lead of 41. William Motaung (44) and Blake Snijman (47) led the way with an opening stand of 95. Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Derek Crookes were not out at the end of the day, and will be looking to extend Gauteng's lead when they resume tomorrow.