The Warriors enjoyed an excellent second day of their Supersport Series cricket match against the Free State Eagles at St George’s Park on Friday, ending play on 153 for one in reply to their opponents’ first-innings 391.
Although they are still 238 runs in arrears, the Warriors will be feeling much happier after they had watched the Eagles soar to 329 for five on the opening day on Thursday.
On Friday, Lyall Meyer took a wicket with the first ball of the morning, dismissing Ryan McLaren to spark a fine Warriors comeback. They ended up taking the last six Eagles wickets for just 62 runs and then skipper Mark Bruyns and Carl Bradfield posted a new Warriors record for the opening stand, adding 118 before Bruyns was dismissed for a well-played 54 off 146 balls (five fours).
Their stand passed the previous best of 100, set by the same pair against the same opponents in last season’s clash in East London.
Bradfield continued to bat cautiously but steadily to end the day on 67 off 230 balls (10 fours) and he will resume on Saturday with Burton de Wett, who has nine.
Meyer’s dismissal of McLaren put him on a hat-trick — he had removed Craig Thyssen with the last ball of play on Thursday — and although he failed to achieve that, he did pick up the wicket of Nicky Boje to end with the commendable return of four for 97.
Happily for the Warriors, fast-bowler Mfuneko Ngam picked up the last two wickets, including that of Morne van Wyk who cracked a powerful 85 off 140 balls (16 fours) to dominate the latter part of the Eagles’ innings. His runs came out of the 122 added while he was at the crease. — Sapa