Warriors have it all to do

DETERIORATING light brought play in the Sunfoil Series match between the Warriors and the bizhub Highveld Lions at Buffalo Park, East London, to an early halt to proceedings about 53 minutes before the scheduled calling of stumps yesterday evening.

The Warriors had advanced to 79 for two wickets in 20.2 overs. With Eddie Moore on 39 batting solidly. His partner, Mohammed Vallie is on two, having arrived at the crease shortly before stumps.

Earlier the visitors took their overnight score of 107/3 to 307 with overnight batsman Rassie van der Dussen scoring a patient 82, Mangaliso Mosehle (41), and Bjorn Fortuin an entertaining 33.

The most effective bowler for the Warriors was Anrich Nortje who finished with four wickets for 71, while Simon Harmer bowled well with figures of 2/33.

Van der Dussen’s innings was not faultless and he had been out caught early on but the offering did not stick. Other than that, he put his head down and was the anchorman for the Lions, keeping the middle-order together and adding a valuable 94 with Mosehle for the sixth wicket.

The Lions lost their last three wickets for one run just on tea-time and the Warriors came out 20 minutes later, with Gihan Cloete and Moore opening against Beuren Hendricks – one of three players with the same surname in the team – and Sean Jamison, who bagged the first wicket, that of Cloete, who started off like a house on fire with a couple of exquisite shots through the covers. He went to 14 off 12 balls with three boundaries and then nicked one to Mosehle. Colin Ackermann joined Moore and scored a neat 18 before change bowler, Temba Bavuma bowled him at 72 for two wickets.

An interesting day’s cricket looms. The Warriors need to push for bonus batting points and a big total if they want to win this match. The Lions, on the other hand, will do their utmost to harvest the last eight wickets speedily, take a handy lead and then add some quick runs and set the Warriors a target tomorrow.