Skipper Alviro Petersen struck 72 runs as Highveld Lions defeated Eastern Cape Warriors by nine wickets Sunday to claim their first South African SuperSport Series victory of the season.
Needing 142 second-innings runs to triumph at the sun-drenched Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, Lions comfortably reached the target thanks to Petersen and a unbeaten 67 from fellow opener Stephen Cook.
Petersen lashed nine fours and two sixes in a 108-minute stay at the crease and Cook weighed in with eight fours as the Lions put behind them a heavy loss last weekend to neighbours Northern Titans.
Warriors, late starters in the four-day championship because of Champions League Twenty20 commitments in India, were on the back foot from the start and a defiant second-innings 143 by captain Jon-Jon Smuts only delayed the inevitable.
Equally inevitable was that the game between defending champions Western Cape Cobras and Coastal Dolphins would end in a draw after rain ruled out large chunks of playing time from the penultimate day.
Dolphins skipper and opener Imran Khan ran out of partners as he made an undefeated 141, including 23 fours, in a total of 316 that left them 21 runs behind and Cobras were 163-5 second time round when stumps were drawn.
