East London - Darryl Brown's unbeaten fifty kept the Warriors’ first innings alive at Buffalo Park as the Highveld Lions maintained their good bowling form in the Sunfoil Series.
Brown’s first half-century in the competition patched together an otherwise underwhelming Warriors effort, as the hosts went to stumps on 279 for nine after they had lost the toss and been inserted by the Lions.
The all-rounder was 50 not out when bad light halted play with 16 overs still remaining in the day, while Basheeru-Deen Walters was unbeaten on nine.
That left the Warriors to reflect on a disappointing day that saw Michael Price (47), Somila Seyibokwe (37), Colin Ingram (40) and Andrew Birch (37) all make starts, only to lose their wickets at moments when the hosts were fighting their way back to parity.
Sean Jamison was a slightly surprising inclusion in the Lions side, but he justified his selection by dismissing the top three, before a middle-order collapse saw the Warriors lose four wickets for 21 runs.
Chris Morris (2 for 18 from 15 overs) was the chief architect of that, having both Ingram and debutant Luthando Mnyanda caught behind after Eddie Leie had made the key breakthrough by bowling Seyibokwe just as the Warriors were making a comeback.
Brown and Birch combined for the day’s most significant partnership when they added 55 for the seventh wicket, but Kagiso Rabada (2 for 46) snuffed out that fightback when he dismissed Birch and then bowled Sisanda Magala.
Brown and Walters managed to extend the innings thereafter, but could face a second new ball when the game resumes on the second morning.