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Warriors set for tricky target
The Chevrolet Warriors were poised to start the tricky business of chasing down a total in excess of 200 for victory when the bizhub Highveld Lions finished the third day of their SuperSport Series match on 274 for nine at the Wanderers on Saturday.
The Warriors are just one wicket away from starting their fourth innings and should have at least five-and-a-half-hours on the final day on Sunday in order to chase down a Lions' lead that currently stands on 213.
Unfortunately for the Lions, the loss of Alviro Petersen's wicket shortly after tea signalled a seachange in the momentum of the match with the home side suffering a dramatic collapse of five wickets for 58 runs.
Petersen was obviously the key man as a masterful innings of 120 had put the Lions in a commanding position. He had just slog-swept Robin Peterson for successive sixes when he tried to repeat the operation, but the experienced left-arm spinner was not going to be caught a third time and a quicker ball beat Petersen and he was smartly stumped by Davey Jacobs.
From there on it all began to quickly unravel for the Lions and when Peterson had both Jonathan Vandiar (8) and Cliffie Deacon (10) caught by Zander de Bruyn at slip, the Lions had sunk to a sickly 237 for seven, just 176 ahead.
Andre Nel then came in and, although he hates facing the spinners and had a tough time against Peterson and Johan Botha, he saw them off and was more sure-footed against the pacemen, hitting three boundaries in a Sinethemba Mjekula over as he finished the day on an important 26 not out.
Peterson was the star of the final session and will go into the last day with figures of five for 52 in 18 overs, just to prove that his international career may not have died just yet.
Magnificent was the only word for Petersen's batting as his second century of the match lifted the Highveld Lions to 183 for three and back in with a shout at tea.
The one-day international raced to his 11th first-class century off just 129 balls, with 18 fours.
His driving down the ground was particularly brilliant, but a watertight defensive technique is an added perk for Petersen.
Stephen Cook was able to do a successful supporting role as he scored 16 in a second-wicket partnership of 81, before a sharp lifter from Wayne Parnell had him caught by wicketkeeper Jacobs down the leg-side for the second time in the match.
Vaughn van Jaarsveld came in and struck three top-class boundaries in his 14, before a quality delivery from Peterson had him all at sea and edging to slip.
Petersen is the only batsman, apart from the Warriors' Steven Pope in 2004/5, to score a century in each innings of a SuperSport Series match since the introduction of the franchise system. It is the second time the 28-year-old has achieved the feat in a first-class game, after his 149 and 109 not out for Northerns against Free State in Pretoria in a President's Cup match in 2004/5.
Having scored 131 in the first innings, the Warriors were well aware of the danger Petersen posed to their chances of winning the match.
Of the Warriors bowlers, Wayne Parnell showed he can bend the ball, but struggled with his length as he took one for 40 off nine overs, while off-spinner Botha looked threatening in taking one for 25 in seven overs.
Peterson had a small spell before tea and tasted early success with one for nine in four overs.
The Wanderers pitch is a baffling patchwork of grass and cracks but is not playing particularly lethally. But how it ends up could be another matter.
Earlier, the Highveld Lions paid for a disappointing bowling performance in the morning as they conceded a first-innings lead of 61 to the Warriors.
Justin Kreusch was the hero of the third morning as his sensational innings of 85 not out took the Warriors from their overnight score of 263 for eight to 316 all out and an unexpected lead.
Nel, in particular, had a morning he would rather not phone home about, being pummelled for two sixes by Kreusch as his eight wicketless overs cost 29 runs.
Kreusch and Lonwabo Tsotsobe added 64 for the ninth wicket before Craig Alexander (three for 68) eventually made the breakthrough, getting Tsotsobe (5) to reach for a drive and edge to wicketkeeper Matthew Harris.
Mjekula was then run out for a duck by Cook trying to give Kreusch access to the strike.
Kreusch scored 46 off 60 balls on Saturday morning and, for a batsman who has a reputation for being somewhat prosaic, he showed his ability to get on with it to great effect.
The Lions went into bat shortly before 11am and quickly rushed to 64 for one at lunch.
Petersen had raced to 36 not out thanks in the main to some superb straight drives as the Warriors bowlers tended to overpitch looking to get the ball to swing.
Jean Symes scored 27 before Botha spun a doosra back into his pads to trap him leg before on the stroke of lunch.
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.
