The Lions can call themselves the rain men after all three their games thus far in this year’s Standard Bank Series have been rained out. Their matches against the Cobras and Titans also ended up as no results due to rain. Wednesday was the second match of the series at Goodyear Park where rain had the final say.
Last week against the Titans, the Eagles won by 21 runs through the Duckworth-Lewis system. The Eagles and Lions will divide the points of the match between them.
After rain suspended play until 6.45pm, the game was shortened to 33 overs a side. The Eagles won the toss and elected to take the field first, hoping that they would get some movement off the seam. They did not have much success until their change bowlers struck.
Roger Telemachus cleanly bowled Stephen Cook (30) with his fourth ball. In the next over, wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk caught Adam Bacher (12) off only the second ball of Ryan McLaren. Cook and Bacher put on a 50-run partnership.
Dumisa Makalima (50) and captain Neil McKenzie (43) then stood firm for a 97-run partnership. The Eagles bowled very badly in the beginning and helped the Lions, adding 19 extras to their total.
The home team started with a bang before rain ended the match at 9.50pm after only 3,3 overs had been bowled. Morne van Wyk (9*) and Loots Bosman (17*) looked like they were going to finish it early. — Sapa