A electric new-ball surge by the DP World Lions’ pace bowlers saw them cleave through the Dafabet Warriors’ top-order that left them tottering on 80 for five in their second innings at tea on the third day of the CSA 4-Day Series final at the Wanderers on Friday.
Sinethemba Qeshile and skipper Senuran Muthusamy prevented further disasters with a gritty unbroken stand of 35. Nevertheless, the Warriors only have an overall lead of 90 with just five wickets in hand. From having much the worst of the first two days, the Lions have emerged into the light and are now in control of the match.
The Lions’ comeback really started in the morning session as Delano Potgieter’s unbeaten 88 anchored a Lions’ recovery that took them from 102 for five on Thursday to their final total of 295, just 10 runs adrift of their opponents’ total.
That rising momentum was underlined after lunch as Codi Yusuf, Beyers Swanepoel and Wiaan Mulder ripped through the Warriors’ top-order.
The collapse began when temporary opener Aphiwe Mayanda was trapped leg before by Swanepoel with the last ball of the fourth over. Mayanda was replacing regular opener Modiri Litheko who was injured in the first innings.
Fellow opener Jordan Hermann, who struck a brilliant century in the first innings, began in typically flamboyant style, striking four boundaries in his run-a-ball 25. But then he threw himself into a wild drive at a wide delivery from Swanepoel, edging to the wicketkeeper. It was a poor stroke at precisely the wrong time.
The collapse gathered pace as Hermann’s dismissal became the first of three wickets to fall for nine runs in three overs.
Matthew de Villiers, the injury sub for Litheko, was caught behind off an intense Yusuf for four, then – in a particularly dramatic moment – Matthew Breetzke was trapped leg before off a fine delivery from Yusuf. As the key Warriors’ batter left the wicket, a gleeful Potgieter brushed his shoulder as he ran to celebrate with his colleagues.
That collision occasioned a heated exchange of views between the batter and the fielders which was quickly cooled by the umpires as emotions threatened to get out of control.
The final wicket to fall in the session was that of first innings centurion JP King who edged a superb leg-cutter from Mulder to the wicketkeeper to leave the Warriors on 45 for five and in danger of complete collapse.
But Muthusamy and Qeshile stood firm.
DP WORLD LIONS: Dominic Hendricks (capt), Richard Seletswane, Zubayr Hamza, WandMakwetu, Wiaan Mulder, Connor Esterhuizen (wkt), Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Beyers Swanepoel, Siya Plaatjie
DAFABET WARRIORS: Jordan Hermann, Modiri Litheko, JP King, Matthew Breetzke, Sinethemba Qeshile (wkt), Senuran Muthusamy (capt), Patrick Kruger, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Mathew Boast, Wesley Bedja, Gideon Peters