The experienced heads in the Cape Cobras batting line-up will have to take a long, hard look at themselves after Hardus Viljoen decimated the top-order to propel the Lions to the brink of victory in their Sunfoil Series clash at the Wanderers.
The Cobras bowlers did well to dismiss the Lions for 154 in their first innings early on day two and deny Temba Bavuma his 13th first-class hundred – he ended on 76 not out off 119 balls (12x4, 1x6) – as the home team added just 13 runs to their overnight score on Thursday morning.
It gave the Lions a 52-run first-innings lead, which required the Cobras to get stuck in during the second innings after being shot out for just 102 on day one.
But it wasn’t to be for Paul Adams’ side as the Cobras were reduced to 17/4 by the ninth over, with one-Test Protea Viljoen doing all the damage. The big fast bowler needed just two balls to trap Andrew Puttick lbw for a duck, and three balls later captain Omphile Ramela shouldered arms and was clean-bowled for 0 as well.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Proteas left-hander Stiaan van Zyl survived just five deliveries before edging his sixth, from Viljoen, to slip to be out for two as the Cobras slumped to 7/3 in the fifth over.
The game was over as a contest by then, and worse was to follow when new No 3 Zubayr Hamza – who had put up some sort of a vigil at the other end for over half-an-hour – eventually lost patience and nicked Viljoen behind to Stephen Cook for a single off 27 balls.
At 17/4, it looked like there was no way back for the Cobras. But classy former SA Under-19 all-rounder Jason Smith dug in his heels and then went on the offensive to take the attack to the Lions bowlers.
He got off the mark in style with the sixth ball he faced by working Viljoen away on the leg-side for four, and followed it up with a cover drive two balls later for a second boundary.
The tall right-hander struck Sean Jamison for two further boundaries, but lost his last recognised batting partner when wicket-keeper Dane Vilas was dismissed lbw for five by Wiaan Mulder.
At 42/5 in 15.2 overs, the Cobras were still 10 runs behind the Lions, and it appeared as if the match wouldn’t last much longer after lunch.
Aviwe Mgijima hung around for 45 minutes for nine runs, and Vernon Philander got to eight before succumbing too, and at 113/7, the Cobras were ahead by just 61 runs, thanks mainly to Smith.
He brought up his half-century off just 65 balls (9x4) and continued to play confidently despite the lack of support from his teammates at the other end.
Smith was on 78 not out and in danger of running out of partners in his push for a hundred when Philander was clean-bowled by Viljoen, who clinched his fifth wicket of the innings.
But spinner Dane Piedt showed his more illustrious counterparts how it’s done by showing tremendous fighting spirit to back up Smith. Piedt wasn’t his usual circumspect self and played freely to hit five boundaries in his first 34 balls to race to 28.
Smith had also moved into the nineties in a confident manner, and was well on his way to his first franchise ton. But SA Under-19 skipper Mulder (4/54 in 15.4 overs) found the outside edge of his bat and Stephen Cook snaffled him up at slip to send Smith packing for a brilliant 95 off 117 balls (16x4) in just over two-and-a-half hours of defiance in a lone hand for the Cobras.
The visitors were leading by 107 runs at that point, and Piedt had superb support from Tshepo Moreki at the other end to stretch the advantage beyond the 150 mark.
But Viljoen (6/75 in 20 overs) returned to get rid of Piedt for a well-played 41 off 92 balls (6x4) in three minutes short of two hours, and even though Dane Paterson and Moreki added 23 runs for the last wicket, the Cobras only reached 211 off 62.4 overs.
Considering the struggles that the Cobras had endured, the likes of Philander, Paterson and Moreki would’ve felt that they had a chance to putting pressure on the Lions top-order as they chased 160 for victory.
And they nearly achieved that goal when Paterson found the edge of Stephen Cook’s bat in the fourth over with the Proteas Test opener on six, but the catch was put down by Van Zyl at slip. Cook and Rassie van der Dussen took full advantage and struck eight boundaries to bring up the 50 in just 11 overs.
The rest of the Cobras attack couldn’t make any breakthroughs either, and the Lions were in with a real chance of finishing things off before the close of play when bad light intervened with the score on 117/0 in just 18 overs, with Cook on 63 and Van der Dussen 43.
With just 43 more runs for victory, the Lions are sure to wrap things up early on Friday.
@ashfakmohamed
Independent Media