The Warriors slightly held the upper hand at stumps on day two with the very real possibility of their CSA 4-Day Franchise Series match against the Lions finishing within three days.
The Lions were on 211/8 in their second innings at the close of play on Tuesday, a lead of 157 runs, after a superb middle and lower-order fightback saw them recover from the perilous position of 71/5 to a score that they could possibly defend.
Dwaine Pretorius was the hero for the Lions, hitting a match top score so far of 71 runs, while he shared in an important 88-run stand with Nicky van den Bergh, who struck 44.
Number nine batsman Malusi Siboto also added 22 valuable runs and was unbeaten at the crease when play was called, and the Warriors will want to get him out as early as possible on Wednesday morning so that they can begin their chase.
The Lions innings started off well enough with Dominic and Reeza Hendricks sharing in a decent 41-run stand, until the introduction of Onke Nyaku to the bowling attack.
In a three-over period, Nyaku broke the opening stand by trapping Dominic LBW, Lutho Sipamla had Kagiso Rapulana caught behind by wicketkeeper Rudi Second for a third-ball duck in the next, and the following over saw Nyaku bowl Reeza for 13 as the Lions slipped to 48/3.
First-innings top scorers Rassie van der Dussen and Wiaan Mulder were at the crease but it was not to be a repeat of their earlier stand as Van der Dussen (1) became Nyaku’s third victim, caught by Jade de Klerk.
The Lions were on 53/4 at that stage, still trailing the Warriors by a run, and they found themselves in even more trouble when Mulder (12) was caught by De Klerk off the bowling of Andrew Birch with the score on 71.
However, the fightback then started, leaving the match in the balance.
At the start of play the Warriors resumed their overnight innings on 113/5 with captain Jon-Jon Smuts unbeaten at the crease on 30 along with Nyaku on five.
It didn’t take the Lions long to pick up the first wicket of Nyaku (7) as Mulder had him caught behind by keeper Van den Bergh with the Warriors on 122/6.
Birch then joined Smuts and they shared in a 26-run stand, with Birch scoring 24 of the runs off 25 balls, hitting four boundaries along the way, before he hit one straight to Rapulana off the bowling of Siboto.
De Klerk was the next man in and he and Smuts took the Warriors past the Lions first innings score of 152, while Smuts brought up a hard-working half-century before De Klerk (14) was caught by Reeza Hendricks off Pretorius.
Glenton Stuurman then came in and, in a similar partnership to the Birch one, scored 22 of the 24-run stand with Smuts, crunching four fours along the way, with his wicket seeing the Warriors on 197/9.
Smuts then looked to pick up the scoring rate by smashing a six to get the Warriors past 200, but he was last man out for 61, caught behind off the bowling of Mulder to end the Warriors innings on 206.
Warriors hold edge at end of day two
Image: Louis Botha
The Warriors slightly held the upper hand at stumps on day two with the very real possibility of their CSA 4-Day Franchise Series match against the Lions finishing within three days.
The Lions were on 211/8 in their second innings at the close of play on Tuesday, a lead of 157 runs, after a superb middle and lower-order fightback saw them recover from the perilous position of 71/5 to a score that they could possibly defend.
Dwaine Pretorius was the hero for the Lions, hitting a match top score so far of 71 runs, while he shared in an important 88-run stand with Nicky van den Bergh, who struck 44.
Number nine batsman Malusi Siboto also added 22 valuable runs and was unbeaten at the crease when play was called, and the Warriors will want to get him out as early as possible on Wednesday morning so that they can begin their chase.
The Lions innings started off well enough with Dominic and Reeza Hendricks sharing in a decent 41-run stand, until the introduction of Onke Nyaku to the bowling attack.
In a three-over period, Nyaku broke the opening stand by trapping Dominic LBW, Lutho Sipamla had Kagiso Rapulana caught behind by wicketkeeper Rudi Second for a third-ball duck in the next, and the following over saw Nyaku bowl Reeza for 13 as the Lions slipped to 48/3.
First-innings top scorers Rassie van der Dussen and Wiaan Mulder were at the crease but it was not to be a repeat of their earlier stand as Van der Dussen (1) became Nyaku’s third victim, caught by Jade de Klerk.
The Lions were on 53/4 at that stage, still trailing the Warriors by a run, and they found themselves in even more trouble when Mulder (12) was caught by De Klerk off the bowling of Andrew Birch with the score on 71.
However, the fightback then started, leaving the match in the balance.
At the start of play the Warriors resumed their overnight innings on 113/5 with captain Jon-Jon Smuts unbeaten at the crease on 30 along with Nyaku on five.
It didn’t take the Lions long to pick up the first wicket of Nyaku (7) as Mulder had him caught behind by keeper Van den Bergh with the Warriors on 122/6.
Birch then joined Smuts and they shared in a 26-run stand, with Birch scoring 24 of the runs off 25 balls, hitting four boundaries along the way, before he hit one straight to Rapulana off the bowling of Siboto.
De Klerk was the next man in and he and Smuts took the Warriors past the Lions first innings score of 152, while Smuts brought up a hard-working half-century before De Klerk (14) was caught by Reeza Hendricks off Pretorius.
Glenton Stuurman then came in and, in a similar partnership to the Birch one, scored 22 of the 24-run stand with Smuts, crunching four fours along the way, with his wicket seeing the Warriors on 197/9.
Smuts then looked to pick up the scoring rate by smashing a six to get the Warriors past 200, but he was last man out for 61, caught behind off the bowling of Mulder to end the Warriors innings on 206.
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