East London - Half-centuries from Colin Ingram and Arno Jacobs steered the Warriors to an emphatic 45-run Duckworth/Lewis victory over the Highveld Lions in their 1 Day Cup match at Buffalo Park here on Wednesday.

Captain Ingram ended on 94 from 87 deliveries, while opener Jacobs was not out on 71 off 92 when the game was called off with the hosts 21 shy of victory and close to 10 overs still remaining.

After winning the toss and batting first, the winless Lions limped to a mediocre 218 all out, thanks mainly to Neil McKenzie’s 87 after a fine all-round bowling display from the Warriors.

Five of their bowlers took two wickets each, with Makhaya Ntini the pick of them after his two for 18.

Rain delayed the start of the run chase with the players taking to the field after supper and then being led off again.

Six overs were deducted from the initial total and a further four lost following a second delay, but there was no stopping the hosts who raced to 174 for one in 31.4 overs when the rain came back and stayed for good.

The Warriors did have one scare at the top of their order when Aaron Phangiso spectacularly caught Jon-Jon Smuts (four) at long on off Richard das Neves – the fielder doing well to catch the ball above his head, then tossing the ball back in the air as he lost his footing, before showing presence of mind to run back in-field and collect.

But the Lions had no answer to Jacobs and Ingram, who eventually ended up sharing an unbroken stand of 168.

The skipper smashed 12 fours and one six as he maintained his rich run of form this season and earned the man-of-the-match award.

Earlier, the Lions looked short of confidence and never recovered after losing three quick wickets.

Stephen Cook played on from Rusty Theron (two for 33) for a second over duck, while Ntini struck a double blow by sending Quinton de Kock (11) and Alviro Petersen (11) on their way with the visitors slumping to 33 for three.

But McKenzie and Jean Symes (44) steadily rebuilt, taking their side past 100 in the 27th over with the former raising his half-century off 70 deliveries.

They put on 91 runs together with Symes the next man to go when he swatted a Smuts full toss straight to Ingram at mid-wicket.

Thami Tsolekile came in and blasted one six and two fours in a brisk 26 off 31 in a 49 run stand with McKenzie, although they both fell in quick succession - the former bowled by Nicky Boje and the latter caught at long-on by substitute Andrew Birch off Smuts as he tried to up the ante.

The Lions limped past 200 with five overs remaining, before the tail folded and they eventually reached a below-par total.

Teams:

Warriors: Jon-Jon Smuts, Arno Jacobs, Colin Ingram (captain), Justin Kreusch, Craig Thyssen, Johan Botha, Wayne Parnell, Nicky Boje, Athenkosi Dyili (wicketkeeper), Rusty Theron, Makhaya Ntini

Lions: Stephen Cook, Alviro Petersen (captain), Neil McKenzie, Jean Symes, Quinton de Kock, Richard Cameron, Thami Tsolekile (wicketkeeper), Cliffe Deacon, Aaron Phangiso, Richard das Neves, Pumelela Matshikwe.