BATSMEN largely ruled the roost when the fourth round of SuperSport Series matches started around the country on Thursday although strangely nobody reached the coveted three-figure mark.

This may, however, change on Friday as two highly talented youngsters, Farhaan Behardien of the Nashua Titans and Stiaan van Zyl of the Nashua Cape Cobras, are both poised to lift their games to another significant level.

Behardien has yet to make a first-class century going into his third summer with the Titans but he finished the opening day of their match against the champion Gestetner Diamond Eagles unbeaten on 84 (138 balls, 14 fours). His highest first-class score is 86 not out achieved last season at amateur first-class level.

He and his skipper, Pierre Joubert, came together with the Titans struggling on an unconvincing 149/5 against a steady Diamond Eagles attack for whom Victor Mpitsang stood out with his figures of 2/30 in 17 industrious overs. The pair added 143 for the sixth wicket at a good pace to enable the Titans to reach a much more healthy 293/6 by the close.

Van Zyl laid down his marker last season in his first full year of franchise cricket when he scored 152 for the Cobras against the Diamond Eagles. What was impressive about his latest innings at Paarl was that he scored at a rate that hardly any other batsman has been able to achieve on this ground this season.

He closed the day on 70 not out off 126 balls with 12 fours and this compared with the two opening batsmen, Andrew Puttick (59 off 133 balls) and Alistair Gray (71 off 255 balls). Van Zyl is now closing in on his first 1 000 runs in first-class cricket and it was largely through his efforts that the Cobras managed to kick on to a very respectable 233/3 by the close.

A second century is surely on the cards for Van Zyl as is the foundation of a big first innings total for the Cobras.

The bizhub Highveld Lions were without Proteas' fast bowler, Andre Nel, who has had to undergo cartilage surgery and will be sidelined for six weeks but Paarl remains a heartless place for seam bowlers to ply their trade.

The Chevrolet Warriors followed much the same path as the Nashua Titans after being put into bat by the Nashua Dolphins at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead. They were also struggling at 136/5 before Davy Jacobs and Justin Kreusch put on a lively 131 for the sixth wicket to see them through to 281/7 by the close off only 82.5 overs.

Jacobs finished the day on 74 off 99 balls with seven fours and a six.