Jerry Nqolo worked an excellent 63 to help the Warriors to a precarious 202-8 off 41 overs in the Momentum One-Day Cup eliminator against the Highveld Lions at the Wanderers.
He was the anchoring partner in a stand of 89 with Christiaan Jonker (42 off 44) as they hauled the Warriors from 61-4 to 150-5 in a match shortened by rain.
He carried on with determination after Jonker departed, ending with four fours and one six among the 68 deliveries he faced, at least giving his bowlers a target to bowl at, even though it was 4.9 an over. Nine overs a side had been lost to rain early in the match.
Having been sent in to bat under grey skies, the Warriors got off to a shaky start, ending the powerplay with 27 runs on the board for the loss of both openers.
Dwaine Pretorius struck first, having Jon-Jon Smuts caught at backward point by Dominic Hendricks off an enticing short delivery. Colin Ackermann followed the next over, beaten purely by the pace of Hardus Viljoen.
The rain delay could well have unsettled Colin Ingram, for he too was on his way just three overs after the restart, ambitiously cutting Nono Pongolo hard and fast to Hendricks again. Backward point was like a magnet, for Yaseen Vallie (14) carved Pongolo there against just four overs later.
After that, it was a case of rebuilding and taking whatever was on offer. Nqolo and Jonker did remarkably well, running hard and playing their strokes judiciously… until Jonker went for a big one off Aaron Phangiso and was comprehensively beaten by the spin. Nqolo followed four overs later, going for a reverse sweep against the same bowler.
Wickets tumbled regularly after that, though Clyde Fortuin stood out with his 21 off 24, which included just one four. The rest was all just hard work.
