Bad light brought play to an early end on the third day of the Supersport match between the Warriors and the Cape Cobras at Buffalo Park in East London on Saturday.
At that stage the Cobras were 41 runs in arrears at 37 for one wicket in their second innings, with Benji Hector on 19 and Andrew Puttick on four not out.
The Warriors took their overnight score of 249-4 to 411 all out, with HD Ackerman advancing from 112 to 195 and with Johan Botha (56) giving him some excellent support in a fifth-wicket partnership of 173. This is a new record partnership for the fifth wicket by the Warriors, eclipsing the 111 by Arno Jacobs and Mark Boucher against the same team in 2004/05.
Both batsmen were in no trouble against an attack lacking the services of medium-pacer Quinton Friend, who only bowled three overs before leaving the field with back problems. He is unlikely to take any further part in the match.
Another batting record was set up on Saturday. Ackerman’s 195 (403 minutes, 320 balls, 18×4, 3×6) is the highest score by the Warriors under the new franchise system, eclipsing the 173 not out by Jacobs against the Dolphins in Port Elizabeth two years ago.
Once Botha was dismissed at 371-5, Ackerman was out without addition to the score, charging left-hander Con de Lange and geting stumped. The innings was soon wrapped up with only Jacobs, nursing a cut to the webbing of his left hand and coming in at a lowly number-eight position, scoring a neat 25 not out, and the Warriors took a valuable 78-run lead.
De Lange and Vernon Philander did most of the bowling on Saturday and they were rewarded with figures of 5-145 off 50 overs and 3-73 in 26,4 overs respectively.
Just before tea, Derrin Bassage was dismisssed in Botha’s first over and the Cobras went to tea at 18-1 after 10 overs.
A total of 24,3 overs were lost because of the decision on bad light, which came at 4.05pm. With so much playing time lost, the match appeared to be heading for a draw. — Sapa