The four-day Supersport match between the Mercedes Warriors and the Nashua Titans ended on Sunday amid controversy about an hour before the scheduled close when the groundstaff at Mercedes-Benz Park were slow to put on the covers as it started raining heavily after the players had left the field because of bad light.
As a result, with the sun shining again, and with about 30 minutes left for play, the umpires would not allow play to continue as the pitch had received a soaking and conditions could have been dangerous for batting.
At that point, the Titans were looking for three wickets to wrap up the match, with the Warriors hanging on desperately on 118 for seven wickets, still requiring 26 runs to make the Titans bat again.
The visitors will feel aggrieved and may even feel robbed of a possible win, and it is understood that Titans coach Richard Pybus will be making an official complaint to the United Cricket Board.
Before the close, however, there was a wonderful, back-to-the-wall, gutsy innings by Warriors all-rounder Burton de Wett, who scored 44, by far the highest score in the Warriors’ second innings.
A total of 18 overs were lost altogether due to the elements, which most definitely came to the Warriors’ rescue.
Earlier in the day, the Titans advanced to a massive 586 for nine declared, a lead of 144.
Overnight batsmen Zander de Bruyn and Albie Morkel continued where they left off on Saturday, and the two added 152 for the fifth wicket — a new fifth-wicket record for the franchise.
Morkel was the first to go, caught on the boundary for an excellent, stroke-filled 84, and De Bruyn continued to pick up the runs.
He went past his 150, but on 175 he tried a big hit off spinner Robin Peterson, giving Warriors wicketkeeper Abongile Sodumo plenty of time to make a stumping.
De Bruyn batted just more than eight hours, faced 342 balls and hit 16 fours and two sixes.
The Warriors’ fielding was shoddy with a number of easy catches being dropped, while their strike-bowler, Mfuneko Ngam, proved expensive, conceding 82 runs off nine overs with 11 no-balls.
He was not used in the morning session, placing extra pressure on the tireless Tyron Henderson, who bowled unchanged in the morning session, finishing with 4-120 off 50 overs.
De Bruyn was named as man of the match. — Sapa