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Nel, Deacon keep their cool for Lions
Experienced pacemen Andre Nel and Cliffie Deacon were the cool customers at the end as they bowled the bizhub Highveld Lions to an exciting 37-run victory over the Chevrolet Warriors in their SuperSport Series match at Liberty Life Wanderers.
Nel sealed the victory with an excellent return catch from Sinethemba Mjekula (one) to give the Lions their first SuperSport Series victory since February 2007 with nearly two hours to spare on the final day. Nel finished with four for 51 and bowled with admirable fire and skill although he also provided his moments of semi-serious lunacy.
Deacon, who the Bloemfontein public may well be missing this season, finished with three for 48 and he effectively put paid to the Warriors' chances when he bowled Justin Kreusch through the gate with a beautiful inswinger.
Kreusch had been at the crease for over an hour-and-a-half and had scored 49 runs, but still played down the wrong line to the superb delivery, ending an innings that had threatened to give the Warriors a dramatic victory.
Lions captain Alviro Petersen sensibly called on Nel and Deacon to start the final session, with the Warriors needing just 51 for victory, with three wickets in hand.
And Nel struck in the third over after tea, enjoying the services of one of the cracks in the pitch as a delivery jagged back and kept low to trap Wayne Parnell (seven) leg-before.
And when Kreusch was bowled by Deacon just four balls later, a Lions victory was almost a sure bet.
Kreusch was once again running amok as he took the Warriors to 200 for seven at tea, having blazed 43 runs from just 42 balls. He stroked nine fours as he backed up his crucial 85 not out in the first innings.
The Warriors had slumped to 129 for six midway through the second session, but Kreusch and Robin Peterson mended the damage with a seventh-wicket stand of 66.
Peterson scored 21 and he weathered a fiery spell from Nel before he eventually edged Deacon to wicketkeeper Matthew Harris shortly before tea.
The Warriors resumed after lunch on 81 for three, but made an awful start to the penultimate session when Ashwell Prince (nine) edged an away-swinger from Deacon, which he could easily have left, high to Werner Coetsee at third slip.
Coetsee was called into service again when he caught Michael Smith off Craig Alexander. Smith had scored 39 and he showed enormous grit as he batted for 163 minutes and faced 123 balls before he was undone by a vicious lifter from Alexander.
Captain Davey Jacobs came in and played in semi-twenty20 style, hitting four fours and a majestic six flicked over midwicket off Deacon, before he was caught behind for a run-a-ball 30 in the middle of a top-class spell by Nel.
At 129 for six, the Lions were in command, but Kreusch and Peterson ensured that the Johannesburg cricket-loving public had the ideal ending to a four-day match - 51 runs or three wickets to win in the final session.
The Wanderers pitch may have had a funny patchwork appearance, but the cricket was compelling. The good batsmen thrived and both the pacemen and the spinners enjoyed assistance, with the skills of groundsman Chris Scott once again to the fore.
Nel and Garnett Kruger had been a potent force for the Highveld Lions in the morning as the match was evenly poised at lunch.
The Warriors went into lunch still needing another 170 runs, after the Lions had been bowled out for 311 after batting for three-quarters-of-an-hour.
Nel and Kruger contributed massively with both bat and ball on Sunday morning, taking their last-wicket partnership to a crucial 39. The pair of fast bowlers then shared the three Warriors wickets to fall before lunch.
Kruger tasted early success with the bat as he belted Peterson for four in the spinner's first over of the day and he also hit Johan Botha for two fours in an over as he ended with 17 not out.
Nel's excellent effort of 40 off 77 balls ended when Lonwabo Tsotsobe beat him comprehensively with a straight, full delivery.
Peterson was the most successful Warriors bowler, ending with five for 60.
The Warriors' run-chase hit a bump in the road as early as the fifth over as Botha (two) sliced a drive off Nel to Deacon in the gully.
re Kruger then really set the cat amongst the pigeons as he removed key men Zander de Bruyn and Arno Jacobs with successive deliveries.
De Bruyn had looked in prime form as he struck six fours in cruising to 30 but, as in the first innings, he came undone against a lifter, gloving a catch to wicketkeeper Harris off Kruger.
Jacobs fell to the very next delivery as he pushed at a ball going across him and was also caught behind.
Smith (24*) and Prince (9*) batted through to the end of the intriguing session.
The victory and the 17.10 points they earned take the Lions to the top of the log, which few would have predicted beforehand.
There will still be a few concerns over their batting, with man of the match Petersen scoring a century in each innings to keep them afloat. Jonathan Vandiar, still in his teens, looked out of depth at number six and, colour considerations aside, he would be the man to make way when Neil McKenzie returns.
Day 1 report
Day 2 report
Day 3 report
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.
