Harmer, Ingram star in Warriors victory

South Africa batsman Colin Ingram and offspinner Simon Harmer led the Warriors to a139-run victory over the Cape Cobras in a low-scoring encounter in Paarl. Ingram made a first-innings century and an unbeaten 92 in the second, while Harmer took a career best 11 for 149, including 8 for 72 in the second innings to wrap up the match and hand Warriors their second victory of the year.

Having chosen to bat, the Warriors slipped to 51 for 3 before Ingram and Arno Jacobs steadied the ship with a 95-run partnership. After Jacobs fell for 28, Wayne Parnell battled for two hours and 22 minutes for 33 in the process of adding 102 with Ingram as they took the score to 248 for 5. Ingram pushed on to 140, easily the highest-score in the game, before the Warriors were bowled out for 320 in the first session of the second day. Beuran Hendricks and Robin Peterson took four wickets each for the Cobras.

The Warriors made early inroad into the Cobra's top order before 68 from Justin Ontong and 62 from JP Duminy revived the innings. However, their departures triggered a collapse and it took No. 9 Rory Kleinveldt, who made 42, to push past 200 to 239.

Having taken an 81-run lead, Warriors slipped to 106 for 6 and it was left to Ingram to once again prop up the side. He battled for over three hours for his 92 as Warriors managed 211 to leave Cobras needing 293 for the win. Peterson took another four wicket to finish with eight for the match.

The Cobras began the final day needing 273 for victory but lost opener Andrew Puttick in the second over of the day, when he edged one to the keeper of Andrew Birch. Harmer then took over, taking the next four wickets, including that of JP Duminy for 7, as the Cobras slid to 75 for 5 at lunch. Justin Kemp, who laboured to 22 from 88, and Dane Vilas, who made 57, provided some resistance but Harmer was in irressistable form. He had Kemp lbw and then removed Robin Peterson in the same over for a duck to take his side to the brink of their second victory. He wrapped up the win by ending Vilas' stay for 57 to finish with 11 for 149 in the match.

Half-centuries from Jonathan Vandiar and Stephen Cook carried the Lions to nine-wicket win after the Titans could only manage 210 in their second-innings at Benoni. The Titans won the toss and chose to bat. Martin van Jaarsveld and Faf du Plessis made 80 each, while Henry David made 71, to set up their total of 354. Legspinner Eddie Leie was the pick of the bowlers for the Lions, taking 5 for 93.

Openers Stephen Cook and Alviro Peterson led the Lions reply, adding 181 before Peterson was caught behind for 115. The rest of the top order, however, failed to stick around as they slipped to 266 for 5. When Cook fell for 109 to leave them 296 for 7, it looked like the Titans would claim the first-innings lead. But No. 8 Thami Tsolekile made 61 and No. 10 Chris Morris made 27 to push their side to 407 and take a 53-run lead.

Heino Kuhn was solid at the top of the order in making 59, but Lions made regular inroads as Leie picked up a second five-for to finish with 10 for 146 for the match.

Peterson fail in the first over for a duck, but Vandiar made 81 and Cook completed a fine match with an unbeaten 71 to seal the win.

Knights maintained their unbeaten run and position at the top of the table, drawing their encounter with Dolphins at Bloemfontein. The Dolphins were set a target of 319 but managed to hang in there with 245 for 7.

The Dolphins put the opposition in and they responded with 340. Morne van Wyk was the top scorer with 340, while the wickets were shared between the seam duo of Mthokozisi Shezi and Robert Frylinck. Quinton Friend, the right-arm seamer, took a five-wicket haul to give the Knights a 100-run lead. One of his wickets was the top scorer Daryn Smit, who missed his century by five runs. None of the others passed fifty.

van Wyk was amongst the runs again as he struck 53 and added quick runs with Dillon du Preez to build on the Knights lead to 318 before the declaration. Dolphins' Imraan Khan and Divan van Wyk began steadily, adding 109 for the first wicket. However, they were set back by three quick strikes, two of which were courtesy du Preez. Smit carried on his good touch from the first innings with a patient unbeaten 56 to ensure his team survived. The Dolphins were at the bottom of the table with three defeats and no outright win.