As he has been for much of the season, fast bowler Matthew Boast was once again the toast of his team as the Dafabet Warriors and the Lions continued their battle for supremacy in the final of the CSA 4-Day Series at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Thursday.
At the close of the second day of the five-day title decider, the Lions had reached 193/7 after dismissing the visitors early in the day for 305.
The Warriors had resumed on 292/8, with top scorer JP King the last man out for 123.
Boast remains comfortably the leading wicket-taker in the competition this season, having gone into the final with 38 wickets to his name.
On Thursday, he added five more to his tally as he tore through the Lions’ top order, at one stage claiming 4/13 in 10 overs as they slumped to 102/5.
After accounting for Dominic Hendricks before lunch — which the Lions reached on 46/2 — the right-arm quick struck three more times in the afternoon session.
That haul included the prized wicket of the ever-dangerous Connor Esterhuizen, trapped leg before just before tea after he and Wiaan Mulder had added a valuable 50 for the fifth wicket.
Mulder ultimately provided the backbone of the Lions’ innings with a fighting 57 off 85 balls before wafting at a Gideon Peters delivery and edging behind.
But it was Boast who dominated the game.
Bowling with genuine pace, swinging the ball both ways and maintaining impressive accuracy, he once again led the Warriors’ attack with distinction.
His first strike of the afternoon removed opener Richard Seletswane, pinned leg before by a delivery that moved late.
His second victim was Wandile Makwetu, who glanced to Jordan Hermann at leg slip, while his third — another lbw decision, against Esterhuizen — came from a ball that darted back into the right-hander, leaving him plumb in front.
Mulder, who survived a confident caught-behind appeal, played particularly well against a disciplined Warriors attack before falling to Peters.
He and Delano Potgieter added an important 41 for the sixth wicket when the Warriors appeared on the verge of complete control.
Though Mulder and Bjorn Fortuin both fell in the final hour, Potgieter stood firm to contribute an unbeaten 40 by the close.
While Boast (5/35) was the standout performer for the Warriors, he received solid support from his fellow bowlers — particularly Patrick Kruger (1/17 in eight overs) and Peters (1/28) — with Wesley Bedja, though wicketless, bowling with commendable heart and accuracy.
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