An unbeaten 81-run partnership between Matthew Kleinveldt and Jason Smith helped the Cape Cobras fight back on day two of their 4-Day Domestic Series encounter with the Warriors in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The pair helped their side recover from 73-4 to reach stumps on 154-4, still trailing by 196 after the visitors had early posted 350 at Newlands.

Fresh from a career-best 175 in the previous game, Kleinveldt was the key man for the home side thanks to his unbeaten 70 (164 balls, 13 fours), while Smith was alongside him on 41.

They were fighting to get their side out of a hole, which was created by a double strike from Glenton Stuurman (2-31).

Earlier, it was the Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts who helped lift his side to a strong first-innings score.

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The team from the Eastern Cape resumed batting on day two on 189-3, with Yaseen Vallie (63 off 125 balls, 5 fours) key for them early on after he completed a well-played half-century.

And, after a quick triple strike by pick of the bowlers George Linde (3-67), the Warriors then looked like they were throwing away their initiative by falling to 226-6.

But Andrew Birch (25) offered support for his skipper in a 46-run seventh-wicket stand, with Jade de Klerk (13) and Stuurman (15) helping push the score to the 350 mark when the visitors were finally dismissed.

Smuts was the last man standing, unbeaten on 75 off 102 balls (10 fours).

Apart from Linde, there were also three wickets each for Dane Piedt (3-84) and Dane Paterson (3-68).

Janneman Malan (0), Pieter Malan (17), Zubayr Hamza (0) and Kyle Verreynne (16) then all fell cheaply, before the rescue act by Kleinveldt and Smith, although the pair will know that there is still plenty of work ahead on day three.

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