Warrior Jon-Jon’s efforts all in vain

SUNFOIL: BEHARDIEN SAVES TITANS, RAIN RULES IN DURBAN

Ken Borland

Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts featured prominently on the scorecards for each of the four innings but it was not quite enough for him to lead his team to victory over the Cape Cobras in their Sunfoil Series match in Port Elizabeth yesterday.

Smuts had scored 49 in the Warriors’ first innings of 452 for six declared and then took four for 38 in 21 excellent overs of leftarm spin as the home side earned a first-innings lead of 65 runs after the Cobras declared on 387 for eight.

The Proteas T20 player then top-scored in the Warriors’ second innings, his 54 lifting them to 186 for nine declared.

Smuts then threatened to run through the Cobras second innings as he took another four wickets to reduce them to 48 for four inside the first 20 overs, but wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne batted for 100 minutes in scoring an unbeaten 30 to ensure a draw was the final result.

Cape Town born Farhaan Behardien had to save the Titans from a dangerous Highveld Lions comeback and ensure a draw in their match in Centurion.

The Titans, with a first-innings lead of 44, had crashed to 100 for five midway through the morning when Jonathan Vandiar was caught behind off Beuran Hendricks for 61, but Behardien came to their rescue with an unbeaten 67 that enabled them to declare on 205 for seven.

Chasing 250 in around 40 overs was never really going to be on for the Lions and, after leg-spinner Shaun von Berg had claimed two wickets for the Titans, the captains agreed to call off the game with the visitors on 80 for two.

At Kingsmead, the Spring rains that have hung around Durban recently ultimately won the day as the match between the Dolphins and the Knights also ended in a draw.

Pite van Biljon, whose heroic century on the third day had saved the Knights from total collapse, was first man out yesterday as he fell to left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy for 105.

Muthusamy finished with four for 64 as the Knights were bowled out for 291, leaving the Dolphins enough time to score 97 for two in their second innings, Vaughn van Jaarsveld making 56 not out with nine boundaries.