Feature

Surprises, mathematics and tension-breakers

Plays of the Day for the Champions League match between Lions and Yorkshire in Johannesburg

Jean Symes ended the building tension at the Wanderers to put Lions into the semi-finals  •  Getty Images

Jean Symes ended the building tension at the Wanderers to put Lions into the semi-finals  •  Getty Images

Surprise move of the day
Lions had kept a lid on Yorkshire but were not able to take any wickets. In an attempt to make something happen, Alviro Petersen brought himself on to bowl the eighth over. His part-time off spin has fetched seven Twenty20 wickets before so perhaps he had reason to think he could do it again. He did, after a brief rain delay, when he came on for a second over and bowled Phil Jaques as the batsman missed a slog sweep.
Interruption of the day
Like the sea, a Johannesburg thunderstorm seems to exist to remind people that there is something bigger than them out there. Clouds rolled in throughout the morning and built to an ominous darkness during the Yorkshire innings. With lightning in the distance, there could be only one outcome and as the sky's tummy rumbled in one thunderous sound, wind blew and spurts of rain spat out. It was gone before it had the chance to do much damage and no overs were lost when the players returned after 15 minutes. For good measure, even the sun made an appearance.
Take of the day
Few need convincing of Thami Tsokekile's ability with the gloves as he stands on the cusp of national recall. Dirk Nannes fired in a 144 kph bouncer which took off and beat Adam Lyth. It got no further than Tsolekile though, who saved certain byes with a well-timed leap. He collected the ball one handed, above his hand and didn't seem too troubled by the athleticism required.
Start of the day
Yorkshire did not have all that many runs to defend after they posted 131, but they got off to a superb start doing it. Instead of their usual tactic of using Joe Root to open the bowling, Iain Wardlaw was tasked with running in first and bowled a testing over to Petersen. He got good away movement, which Petersen left alone three times, and forced a defensive shot thrice.
Injury scare of the day
Azeem Rafiq made a valiant attempt to catch Petersen's cut off Oliver Hannon-Dalby over point. He jumped at the right moment and got fingertips to it but could not stop the boundary. In the process, he also appeared to have hurt a digit on one of his fingers, which looked as though it may have dislocated and he had to leave the field for treatment. He returned to bowl later though, saving the tournament from losing another player to the ranks of the walking wounded.
Mathematics of the day
With clouds forming an unwelcome roof for the entire duration of the match and cool air swirling, rain was imminent at any time. Lions remained well above their Duckworth-Lewis par score most of the time but found themselves getting close to it every time a wicket fell. When Quinton de Kock got a leading edge off Wardlaw at the end of the 13th over, Lions were 89 for 4. Two overs later, they had managed just two runs and found themselves two runs behind the required score. The battle with Duckworth Lewis yo-yoed for the rest of the innings, with the Lions falling behind again at the end of the 18th over as the storm brewed overhead.
Tension-breaker of the day
With 19 needed off 10, it was as if the entire stadium popped with relief when Jean Symes made room to swipe Hannon-Dalby over covers. The ball landed in the stand and the cheer over the Wanderers warmed the air.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent