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Midrand - Vernon Philander, finding some fire on a hot Highveld afternoon, had ripped through the Lions' top order with three wickets for nine runs, but his endeavours were all for nought, as the hosts held on for a draw, in their SuperSport match against the Cape Cobras, at Randjesfontein on Sunday.
When the players eventually shook hands with the score on 202 for seven, Cliffe Deacon and Robbie Frylinck on 13 and 19 respectively.
It was a game of constant fluctuation, the home side on top on Friday, however, with Graeme Smiths' double hundred on Saturday - his seventh overall and his second for the Cobras - the pendulum swung back in favour of the visitors from the Cape.
The Lions needed 281 to win off 63 overs, after the Cobras had declared on 499 for five. If the Lions were to prevail they had to dominate from the outset, but they failed to do so and paid the penalty with a flurry of four wickets.
Philander accounted for Stephen Cook, Jonathan Vandiar, and Neil McKenzie. Monde Zondeki got into the act trapping Alviro Petersen in the crease, all within 12 overs.
Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Zander de Bruyn came together at the fall of the fourth- wicket, and the pair who had posted 87 and 76 in the first innings, continued to impress, as they knuckled down to help claw the Lions back into the match.
But Van Jaarsveld who had never looked in trouble throughout his innings, inexplicably tried to smash Zondeki out of the Park and was caught by Robin Peterson in the deep, six runs shy of his half-century.
In the 46th over Zondeki struck for the second time, castling De Bruyn, the dogged batsmen had occupied the crease for 145 minutes, striking seven boundaries in his 106-ball 55.
Earlier, the Cape Cobras resumed on their overnight score of 378 for two, with Stiaan van Zyl and Justin Ontong on 27 and 14 respectively. Van Zyl added a further seven runs before Cliffe Deacon trapped him in the crease, however, it could have been so much worse for the visitors. JP Duminy was caught on eight, but the umpire ruled that Craig Alexander had overstepped the mark.
Though having survived, the classy middle-order batsman went on to put the Lions' attack to the sword, with some glorious stroke-making, in his 22nd first-class 50. Altogether he faced 96-balls, finding the ropes on nine occasions and clearing them once.
Together with Ontong they put on 102 runs before lunch.
Duminy looked set for a big score, but seven balls after the interval, Lady Luck deserted the batsman, and he was caught at deep mid-wicket by Robbie Frylinck off Alexander, the bowler atoning for his previous lapse.
With Duminy's dismissal, Smith the Cobras captain declared the innings closed.
