Bavuma heroics can't prevent Lions' loss
Lions came close to clinching an unlikely win against Cape Cobras but fell short by 47 runs in their chase of 238 on the third day at the Newlands
ESPNcricinfo staff
15-Feb-2014
Cape Cobras 255 (Ontong 88, Vallie 70, Tahir 4-62) and 101 (Tsotsobe 5-33) beat Lions 119 (Piedt 4-28, Paterson 3-33) and 190 (Bavuma 112, Paterson 4-61) by 47 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Lions came close to clinching an unlikely win against Cape Cobras but fell short by 47 runs in their chase of 238 on the third day at the Newlands. The chase was led by a hundred from Temba Bavuma, but there was little support for him as he made 112 out of Lions' 190. The 47-run win took Cobras top of the table.
Cobras didn't start too well, after being asked to bat, sliding to 17 for 3. But fifties from Justing Ontong and Yaseen Vallie rescued them with a stand of 139. Imran Tahir dismissed both batsmen, trapping Ontong lbw for 88 and having Vallie caught for 70. Dane Vilas resisted with 34 but Tahir's four wickets meant Cobras were restricted to 255.
Lions lost their top order even more cheaply, for 13 runs. After Quinton de Kock and Dominic Hendricks were sent back by Dane Paterson, Neil Mckenzie and Temba Bavuma stalled the fall of wickets for 14 overs. But once Justin Kemp broke the stand of 43, four wickets from Dane Piedt dismissed Lions for 119. Five wickets from Lonwabo Tsotsobe led the Lions fightback in the second innings as Tahir chipped in with three more and Cobras managed only 101, setting Lions a target of 238.
Lions lost early wickets again but Stephen Cook replied with a 42 until Paterson got rid of him, leaving the score at 97 for 4. His third wicket reduced them to 107 for 5 and two more from Shaheen Khan made it 120 for 7. Bavuma stitched two partnerships to give Lions some hope - of 31 with Tsotsobe and of 24 with Pumelela Matshikwe for the last wicket - but Paterson dismissed Bavuma after the latter's seventh first-class hundred for the 47-run win.