Five for Rabie as Warriors prevail
by Ant Sims 30 September 2012, 14:37
The Chevrolet Warriors got their Sunfoil Series campaign off to a winning start by claiming a convincing 161-run victory over the defending champions the Nashua Titans at Axxess St. George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.
Full scorecard: Warriors v Titans
The Titans, who won the toss and decided to field first on day one, got off to a good start as the Warriors wobbled on day one, and it was only Ashwell Prince and Colin Ingram who managed significant scores as the home side were dismissed for 276 early on day two.
The Titans, however, stuttered in their reply and despite a valiant 94 by Jacques Rudolph, they were all out for 216, thanks to some magic from Basheer Walters who finished the first innings with 12.4-1-57-5.
With a lead of 60 runs still intact the Warriors made the Titans pay as openers Michael Price and Davy Jacobs combined for a 200-run stand, both notching up a century as they piled on the runs on day three.
Ingram again impressed with the bat, adding a quickfire 58 off 69 before the Warriors declared, setting the Titans a total of 414 for victory.
Three wickets fell towards the end of day three and the Titans were in all sorts of trouble when they found themselves at 41-5 early on the final day.
Heino Kuhn and David Wiese, however, knuckled down for a 177-run partnership, as both batsmen made the track look like a breeze to bat on, despite the earlier struggles.
The pair were unbeaten at lunch, but the Warriors took back control shortly after the interval when Simon Harmer's spin outfoxed Kuhn and he ended up being trapped leg-before.
Wiese followed soon after when he tried to pull the ball away, but Andrew Birch took a great diving catch to put the Warriors in firm control.
The task ahead was mammoth and a win was looking unlikely for the Titans. They had to either hope for bad weather or for the tail to bat out the day.
Neither was to be, though, and Gurshwin Rabie and Birch wrapped up the tail, Rabie finishing with second innings figures of five for 61.
The win takes the Warriors to third on the Sunfoil Series points table, just two points behind the second-placed BizHub Highveld Lions, but more than six behind first-placed Nashua Cape Cobras.
The defending champions, meanwhile, drop down to second from the bottom.
Report Day 1
Report Day 2
Report Day 3
CHEVROLET WARRIORS: D Jacobs (capt), M Price, JJ Smuts, A Prince, C Ingram, KR Smuts, A Dyili (wkt), S Harmer, A Birch, B Walters, G Rabie
NASHUA TITANS: H Davids (capt), J Rudolph, T Bodibe, P Malan, C de Villiers, D Wiese, R van der Merwe, H Kuhn (wkt), R Richards, P Harris, E Mbhalati
