Alviro bucks the trend as ECW seize control

Alviro Petersen bucked the trend as the Chevrolet Warriors bowlers seized the initiative and reduced the bizhub Highveld Lions to 240 for nine on the opening day of their SuperSport Series match in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Petersen batted with few airs and graces but studious application as he stroked his way to 131 off 224 balls with 14 fours and a six. He carried the Lions to a respectable total, being the seventh man out on a day in which the Warriors bowlers took wickets regularly on a patchwork pitch on which batting was not easy.

The opener eventually fell when Sinethemba Mjekula bended a delivery away from him and a leading edge saw the ball fly into the covers, where Arno Jacobs took a brilliant one-handed, diving catch.

New Warriors captain Davey Jacobs called Robin Peterson into service straight after the tea break and the left-arm spinner did not take long to strike. Jonathan Vandiar, who did not look comfortable during his 12-ball runless stay at the crease, edged a cut to wicketkeeper Davey Jacobs just two balls into the final session.

A rank long-hop from Peterson was then drilled straight at Arno Jacobs at short midwicket by Matthew Harris (2), but Cliffie Deacon then shared a stubborn 35-run stand with Petersen that held up the Warriors for an hour.

Petersen's top-class innings was ended a half-hour before bad light stopped play, a previous interruption taking the players off the field for five minutes.

New-ball bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe was also brought back into the attack and the move would pay dividends in the left-armer's second over when Deacon (4) top-edged a pull and Davey Jacobs called for the catch and completed it.

Andre Nel's first appearance in Lions colours was uneventful as a drive on the up presented Peterson with an easy catch at mid-off off Tsotsobe and the home side's first innings is all but wrapped up with Craig Alexander (1) and Garnett Kruger (0) at the crease.

Petersen was making a lone stand as he took the Highveld Lions to 190 for four at tea.

While Petersen had produced a high-quality 92 not out, the Lions were making life hard for themselves by gifting key wickets just before intervals.

Warriors medium-pacer Justin Kreusch managed to prise open the Lions middle-order with two wickets in three balls shortly before tea after the Lions had elected to bat first at a rather bare, scruffy looking Wanderers.

That was after Petersen and Vaughn van Jaarsveld seemed to have forced the visitors into a sticky position as their 87-run stand took the Lions to 170 for two.

Van Jaarsveld had batted with characteristic determination on his way to 51, before he threw away his wicket in a mouth-dropping moment of slackness. Kreusch delivered a short and wide delivery that really should have gone for four, but a limp pat from the left-hander saw it go straight to Johan Botha at backward point for an easy catch.

Werner Coetsee would come and go as he missed a leg-side waft at a straight ball from Kreusch and was trapped leg-before for one, but Petersen ploughed on to the break.

The SA A star was strong on the drive and notched the first century of the SuperSport Series season as he worked Wayne Parnell through square-leg for four.

The Highveld Lions' decision to bat first seemed to have paid off as they reached 87 for two at lunch.

Petersen, summoned to captain the side after Neil McKenzie suffered a cracked rib facing Nel, was calling the shots on 47 not out.

But the Lions rather wasted their advantage when the in-form Stephen Cook (8) was caught down the leg side by Davey Jacobs two balls before lunch.

Van Jaarsveld came in and survived the last two balls before lunch from Zander de Bruyn, who ended with two for 28.

The Warriors had initially struggled to find their lines and lengths on a hazy morning in Johannesburg as Petersen and Jean Symes put on a first-wicket stand of 65.

The pair were looking most comfortable until Symes played across the line of a straight delivery from De Bruyn and was sent back to the hut for 26.

There wasn't much in the Lions' decision to bat first, but the Warriors are fielding two international spinners in Botha and Peterson, so the key factor may have been avoiding giving them a chance to bowl on the fourth day on a pitch that is already sporting cracks.

Ashwell Prince, part of the shock exodus of international stars from the Western Cape Cobras to the Warriors, is in the visitors' line-up.

The Warriors' dominant position was a product of their well-balanced attack, featuring left-arm and right-arm pace, the useful seamers of De Bruyn and Kreusch and two spinners.

But the Lions batsmen, Petersen apart, looked only semi-interested at times and, based on the first day of the season, 2008/09 is already threatening to be another long campaign for the Gauteng/North-West public.

Teams

bizhub Highveld Lions - Jean Symes, Alviro Petersen, Stephen Cook, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Werner Coetsee, Jonathan Vandiar, Matthew Harris, Cliffie Deacon, Andre Nel, Craig Alexander, Garnett Kruger.

Chevrolet Warriors - Michael Smith, Johan Botha, Zander de Bruyn, Arno Jacobs, Ashwell Prince, Davey Jacobs, Justin Kreusch, Robin Peterson, Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Sinethemba Mjekula.