An incredible match that saw 40 wickets fall in just over two-and-a-half days, ended with the Warriors emerging triumphant by 29 runs over the Lions in their Sunfoil Series clash at Buffalo Park on Saturday afternoon.
It was the perfect start to the second half of the Sunfoil Series season for the home side and firmly entrenches them in the top three after they picked up 21.86 points in the match, giving them every chance of taking overall honours with four matches left to play.
“We are very excited. To be honest, when I rocked up here on day one and saw the wicket, I didn’t think it was going to end so quickly. I thought it would be four days of really hard graft, but the guys really put their hands up in the game,” said Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts.
“We bowled superbly and fielded really well, so it was an outstanding effort.”
The first two days had seen the Warriors bat first and score 193 all out. The Lions replied with 178 all out, followed by the Warriors being bowled all out for 145 just before the close of day two.
Saturday’s play began with the Lions on 12/1, needing a further 149 to win the match, but their hopes were almost derailed immediately by a fiery opening spell from Tladi Bokako. Bowling the first over of the day, he sent down four dot balls before trapping Reeza Hendricks (6) in front for the perfect start.
Just a single came off the next over bowled by Anrich Nortje, with Bokako then claiming a double-wicket maiden in his next, bowling Omphile Ramela (3) and having Nicky van den Bergh caught by Simon Harmer for a third-ball duck, meaning the Lions had slipped to 13/4 within three overs of the start.
A few overs later, it was almost all over as Wiaan Mulder edged Nortje to slip while on two, but Gihahn Cloete dropped the catch, allowing Mulder and Rassie van der Dussen to embark on a 55-run partnership.
Just when things started looking up for the Lions, Harmer stepped in to break the dangerous stand as Mulder (24) again edged to slip where this time Cloete held onto the chance.
Mangaliso Mosehle then arrived at the crease and launched a counter-attack, hitting two fours and a six in a 20-ball 18 before Smuts trapped him LBW.
Zanzima Pongolo then joined Van der Dussen and they took the Lions to lunch on 103/6, with the match still delicately poised.
However, after the break, the Warriors struck early – Harmer having Van der Dussen (40) caught by Colin Ackermann and Aaron Phangiso edging Bokako to Cloete for a third-ball duck as they crashed to 106/8.
That became 114/9 when Harmer picked up his third, Beauren Hendricks (3) out LBW, before a 17-run last-wicket stand between Pongolo (24) and Sean Jamison (5 not out) gave the Lions a sliver of hope, with Pongolo then hitting one straight down Cloete’s throat at long-on off the bowling of Smuts to end the match.
“There was probably a little bit of soft batting from both teams. I always find that generally when you come straight out of a white-ball competition, in that first game afterwards there are a few loose shots – so maybe a little bit of ill-disciplined batting, but both teams bowled really well,” Smuts admitted.
“That was a match-winning performance from Bokako. If they had not lost any wickets in the first 10 overs of the day we would have really been under pressure because you need to bowl a team out when defending a score like this.
“So I thought his spell of three wickets for five runs in five overs really cracked the game open and allowed us to attack with the spinners nicely and really put them under pressure.”
Despite being on the losing side, Van der Dussen was awarded the Man-of-the-Match award by the umpires for his impressive batting in difficult conditions, with him scoring one of only two half centuries in the match in their first innings – the game’s highest score of 69.
“Rassie batted outstandingly, getting him out early after lunch was very important for us,” added Smuts.
Warriors tame Lions with speedy win
It was the perfect start to the second half of the Sunfoil Series season for the home side and firmly entrenches them in the top three after they picked up 21.86 points in the match, giving them every chance of taking overall honours with four matches left to play.
“We are very excited. To be honest, when I rocked up here on day one and saw the wicket, I didn’t think it was going to end so quickly. I thought it would be four days of really hard graft, but the guys really put their hands up in the game,” said Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts.
“We bowled superbly and fielded really well, so it was an outstanding effort.”
The first two days had seen the Warriors bat first and score 193 all out. The Lions replied with 178 all out, followed by the Warriors being bowled all out for 145 just before the close of day two.
Saturday’s play began with the Lions on 12/1, needing a further 149 to win the match, but their hopes were almost derailed immediately by a fiery opening spell from Tladi Bokako. Bowling the first over of the day, he sent down four dot balls before trapping Reeza Hendricks (6) in front for the perfect start.
Just a single came off the next over bowled by Anrich Nortje, with Bokako then claiming a double-wicket maiden in his next, bowling Omphile Ramela (3) and having Nicky van den Bergh caught by Simon Harmer for a third-ball duck, meaning the Lions had slipped to 13/4 within three overs of the start.
A few overs later, it was almost all over as Wiaan Mulder edged Nortje to slip while on two, but Gihahn Cloete dropped the catch, allowing Mulder and Rassie van der Dussen to embark on a 55-run partnership.
Just when things started looking up for the Lions, Harmer stepped in to break the dangerous stand as Mulder (24) again edged to slip where this time Cloete held onto the chance.
Mangaliso Mosehle then arrived at the crease and launched a counter-attack, hitting two fours and a six in a 20-ball 18 before Smuts trapped him LBW.
Zanzima Pongolo then joined Van der Dussen and they took the Lions to lunch on 103/6, with the match still delicately poised.
However, after the break, the Warriors struck early – Harmer having Van der Dussen (40) caught by Colin Ackermann and Aaron Phangiso edging Bokako to Cloete for a third-ball duck as they crashed to 106/8.
That became 114/9 when Harmer picked up his third, Beauren Hendricks (3) out LBW, before a 17-run last-wicket stand between Pongolo (24) and Sean Jamison (5 not out) gave the Lions a sliver of hope, with Pongolo then hitting one straight down Cloete’s throat at long-on off the bowling of Smuts to end the match.
“There was probably a little bit of soft batting from both teams. I always find that generally when you come straight out of a white-ball competition, in that first game afterwards there are a few loose shots – so maybe a little bit of ill-disciplined batting, but both teams bowled really well,” Smuts admitted.
“That was a match-winning performance from Bokako. If they had not lost any wickets in the first 10 overs of the day we would have really been under pressure because you need to bowl a team out when defending a score like this.
“So I thought his spell of three wickets for five runs in five overs really cracked the game open and allowed us to attack with the spinners nicely and really put them under pressure.”
Despite being on the losing side, Van der Dussen was awarded the Man-of-the-Match award by the umpires for his impressive batting in difficult conditions, with him scoring one of only two half centuries in the match in their first innings – the game’s highest score of 69.
“Rassie batted outstandingly, getting him out early after lunch was very important for us,” added Smuts.
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