Jon-Jon Smuts and Christiaan Jonker steered the Warriors home, as they eased past the Lions by six wickets on Wednesday.
It was a simple start to the Warriors’ opening One-Day Cup game, as they hit the ground running with victory at the Wanderers.
The hosts, having had a woeful T20 campaign, were skittled out by a hungry Warriors side who lost to the eventual Ram Slam champions, the Titans, in the semi-final.
Geoffrey Toyana’s side’s terrible results continued as Clayton Bosch (2-36), Sisanda Magala (3-28), Ayabulela Gqamane (2-34) and Colin Ackermann (1-25) ripped through his side’s batting lineup.
Stephen Cook and Dwaine Pretorius were the Lions’ top performers, Cook scoring 41 before he was run out to leave the side at 90-3. Pretorius came in with his side on 94-4 and smashed 77 not out (3×6, 7×5) as his teammates crumbled, leaving the Lions all out for 209 in 39.5 overs.
The Warriors’ chase was halted by Pretorius (1-49) and Hardus Viljoen (3-57), as the visitors lost their openers for 62 runs. Ackermann’s cameo 35 got his side to 78 before he was dismissed, Viljoen getting his third before he picked up his fourth by dismissing Yaseen Vallie for three in the 16th over.
Smuts and Jonker strung together a match-winning record fifth-wicket partnership against the Lions, in a 131-run stand.
Smuts scored 70 off 70 balls (7×4 , 2x 6) and Jonker 55 off 60 balls (3×4 , 2×6) balls as they claimed a six-wicket win.
