Warriors cruise to 10-wicket victory
by Brendon Atwell 22 December 2012, 13:54
The Chevrolet Warriors claimed a 10-wicket win over the bizhub Highveld Lions midway through day three of their Sunfoil Series match at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Full Scorecard – Lions v Warriors
An undefeated knock of 89 from the Warriors captain, Davy Jacobs, guided the visitors to 140 without loss. Jacobs' opening partner, Michael Price, ended undefeated on 49, to give the Warriors the perfect start to the resumptiom of the four-day game.
Any chances of the Lions claiming an unlikely victory evapourated at lunch as the visitors marched into lunch on 78 without loss.
The Warriors claimed 16.7 points from the match, giving them a total of 51.62 points, just behind the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras, who have claimed 8.98 points in their match against the Nashua Titans in Cape Town so far, to keep them in top spot.
The hosts started the day on 35 for five in their second innings, a slender lead of 115 runs, with Thami Tsolekile and Temba Bavuma at the crease.
Ayabulela Gqamane struck in the second over of the morning, when he removed Bavuma, trapped lbw, for 18.
Five overs later, Andrew Birch got in on the act, trapping Brett Pelser lbw for three. At 45 for seven, the Lions were in deep, deep trouble.
A brief partnership of 13 between Tsolekile and Eddie Leie ended in the 30th over when Gqamane trapped Leie in front for one. Two balls later, Imran Tahir slogged a ball from Gqamane to Christiaan Jonker at mid-on, for a duck, giving Gqamane his third 10-wicket haul in First Class cricket.
Tsolekile was the last man out two overs later for 14, caught behind by Davy Jacobs, when he tried to lift a ball over the slip cordon, off Gqamane, who ended with 7-24, and match figures of 11-70.
This incredible fightback by the Warriors left them a target of 140 runs, with two days left to play.
On Thursday, the Lions had won the toss and decided to bat first. When the umpires called a premature end to the day's play, the hosts had reached 275 for five with Tsolekile unbeaten on 64.
The Lions' captain, Stephen Cook, had earlier scored 95 in a 246 minute knock which included 11 boundaries. Neil McKenzie had struck eight fours in his knock of 50 which lasted for 155 minutes.
Gqamane and Birch both claimed three wickets for the Warriors after Basheer Walters claimed the first wicket of the day.
The home side were eventually bowled out for 315 on day 2 with Tsolekile ending undefeated on 88, which included 11 fours and two sixes. Birch and Gqamane ended with four wickets.
Christiaan Jonker and Jacobs top scored with quickfire half centuries for the Warriors as the visitors were bowled out for 235, 80 runs short of the Lions first innings total.
Jonker scored 68 in 82 minutes with five boundaries and five sixes, while Jacobs spent 80 minutes at the crease for his 58.
The visitors then fought back by reducing the home side to 35 for five at the close of day two. Again, Gqamane was at the centre of the storm, claiming 3-8, while Bavuma tried to hold the innings together.
Report Day 1
Report Day 2
Chevrolet Warriors: ML Price, DJ Jacobs*, JT Smuts, AG Prince, A Jacobs, C Jonker, SR Harmer, A Gqamane, BD Walters, ACR Birch, GR Rabie, AZM Dyili†, KR Smuts, WD Parnell, CA Ingram
bizhub Highveld Lions:SC Cook*, GH Bodi, T Bavuma, ND McKenzie, Z de Bruyn, TL Tsolekile†, BJ Pelser, E Leie,Imran Tahir, GJP Kruger, P Matshikwe, E O'Reilly, D Pretorius, GC Viljoen, WA Deacon, Q de Kock, CH Morris, D Klein
