VILJOEN SEALS LION’S WIN

A day-four fourth innings collapse of the Warriors, fashioned by pacer Hardus Viljoen, handed the Lions a 148-run victory at the Wanderers. With the Warriors needing 288 to win on the final day, the Port Elizabeth side were reduced from 34 for 0 to 34 for 3 in 11 balls.

The Lions elected to bat, and Nicky van den Bergh’s 99 and Dwaine Pretorius’ 97 took them to 308; the pair added 180 in partnership, the only significant stand in the innings – no other partnerships touched 40 runs. Andrew Birch and Sisanda Magala shared seven wickets between them for the Warriors.

In reply, the Warriors were wobbling at 24 for 2 with both their openers dismissed early before Lesiba Ngoepe put on 95 runs – the third batsman to be dismissed in the 90s in the game – in partnership with the middle-order to take his side closer to the Lions’ first innings score, before Pretorius rattled them further in returning 6 for 81. Birch, who came in to bat at No. 9, contributed 82 crucial runs to take his side from 201 for 7 to 356, a 48-run lead.

A 98-run opening partnership for the Lions scratched out any advantage the Warriors had; openers Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen scored 48 and 51 respectively. At one-down, Dominic Hendricks scored his second fifty in as many games; his 61 along with Yaseen Valli’s 40 led the Lions to 335, before they declared early on day four.

So the Warriors were chasing 288 and ran into Viljoen, who picked up three of the top-four batsmen in the side before coming back to polish off the innings. The Warriors captain Simon Harmer – who already had a match haul of six – top scored with 42 from No. 8 as the team slid to 139 all out.

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