Boast puts Warriors on top on day two of 4-Day Series final

Dafabet Warriors seamer Matthew Boast took 5/35 to help his team into a position of strength on day two of the 4-Day Series final against the DP World Lions at the DP World Wanderers on Thursday.

Boast’s seam bowling masterclass saw the Lions finish day two on 193/7, still trailing the Warriors first innings by 112 runs.

Starting day two on 292/8 the Warriors were hoping to push their score over the 300-run mark and they managed that.

The first wicket of the day saw Wesley Bedja dismissed for a hard-fought 17 from 30 balls. He was Codi Yusuf's second wicket of the innings.

Ultimately JP King fell on 123 from 230 deliveries. He was the final wicket to fall as the Warriors were bowled out for 305 with Wiaan Mulder finishing with figures of 3/48.

The Warriors got off to a good start with the ball when Boast picked up the wicket of Lions captain Dominic Hendricks for four.

The dangerous Zubayr Hamza was the second wicket to fall for six from 32 deliveries as the Lions were restricted to 37/2 with Patrick Kruger bagging his first wicket.

Just 13 runs later and the Warriors had their third wicket. Richard Seletswane was trapped in front for 32 off the bowling of Boast to leave the home side in some trouble on 50/3.

Two runs later and Boast had his third wicket when the seamer had Wandile Makwetu caught by Jordan Hermann for seven.

The resistance came for the fifth wicket with Wiaan Mulder and Conner Esterhuizen adding 50 to the total before the latter fell to the red-hot Boast for 15. The fast bowler added a fourth wicket to his tally with the Lions 102/5.

Mulder continued to repel the Warriors bowlers as he went to a crucial half century. Unfortunately for the Lions, Mulder was the sixth wicket to fall. He was caught by wicket-keeper Sinethemba Qeshile for 57 off the bowling of Gideon Peters.

It was a timely first wicket for Peters and the Warriors as the Lions were still 162 runs shy of the Warriors first innings score with just four first innings wickets in hand.

Bjorn Fortuin and Delano Potgieter then attempted to rebuild the Lions innings and push their side towards 200.

The pair managed to cobble together a partnership of 27 before Fortuin was dismissed for a patient 14 from 42 balls as he became Boast's fifth wicket as the Lions slipped deeper into trouble.

Delano Potgieter held the lower order together and finished the day unbeaten on 40 while Yusuf will start day three on 11 not out.