Seemingly no end to the carnage befalling Cobras in Potch

THE CAPE COBRAS are staring down the barrel of another big Sunfoil Series defeat as the Highveld Lions rammed home the advantage day two in Potchefstroom yesterday.

The Cobras miserable four- day campaign continued at Senwes Park as they have arguably already been batted out of the match. The Lions posted a massive 580/7 declared in 138 overs, with left-hander Dominic Hendricks top-scoring with 160 (340 balls, 25x4), his highest in franchise cricket, but 16 short of his best in first-class cricket.

Hendricks got 10 more than Proteas opener Stephen Cook, who stroked 150 off just 226 deliveries (20x4), and their 261-run partnership on Thursday had put the Lions in the pound seats.

But even though Hendricks was dismissed by national team spinner Dane Piedt after adding 30 runs to his overnight total, the carnage didn’t end there for Paul Adams’ team.

Young right-hander Yassar Cook – who had shared a 138-run stand with Hendricks – just missed out on a franchise hundred (92 off 127 balls, 14x4) when Piedt struck again to reduce the home side to 441/5.

But wicket-keeper Nicky van den Bergh and all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius laid into the Cobras attack that had been severely affected by an injury to left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, who sent down just four overs yesterday before leaving the field.

Van den Bergh destroyed the Cobras bowlers with 82 off just 54 balls ( 10x4, 4x6), while Pretorius smashed 60 off 40 deliveries (6x4, 3x6) as the Lions pushed for quick runs ahead of the declaration.

It eventually came just before tea, and the Cobras went to the break unscathed at 29/0. Openers Andrew Puttick and Simon Khomari put up a 50-run stand, but nine runs later, Khomari was run out for 14 by Stephen Cook.

That sparked a mini-collapse as the Cobras lost four wickets for 21 runs, with the rest of the specialist batsmen in captain Omphile Ramela (0), Stiaan van Zyl (2) and Justin Ontong (16) falling to Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin and Hardus Viljoen respectively.

Only Puttick stood tall, and he found a willing ally in Dane Vilas, who took the fight to the Lions attack. Vilas tried to hit the Cobras out of trouble with a 52-run partnership in just over seven overs.

But Vilas’ luck ran out as Lions paceman Pumelela Matshikwe got through his defences to bowl him for 47 off 30 balls (7x4, 1x6) to leave the Cobras in disarray at 132/5.

Puttick, though, dropped anchor to try and save face for the visitors, and went to his 41st first-class halfcentury.

All-rounder Wayne Parnell didn’t hold back, though, hitting three boundaries. But he managed to survive to the close on 15 not out, with Puttick on an unbeaten 59 (136 balls, 11x4) as the Cobras limped to 154/5 in 52 overs, still a mammoth 426 runs behind the Lions.

The Cobras will have to try and bat for the next two days to eke out an unlikely draw.

DOMINIC HENDRICKS: Starred with his highest franchise score