It was a match which either side could have won, with fortunes swinging like a metronome throughout the day.

Needing 251 for victory after dismissing the Lions for 311 in their second innings, the Warriors lost their first wicket when Andre Nel – who moved south across the Jukskei at the start of the season – had Johan Botha caught by Cliffie Deacon for two, with the score on 16.

Michael Smith and Zander de Bruyn put on 54 runs for the second wicket, and the Warriors appeared to be back on top, until Kruger struck with successive balls to dismiss De Bruyn (30) and Arno Jacobs (0), and fortune swung back towards the Lions.

Appeared to have the upper hand

Deacon claimed the first of his three wickets when Ashwell Prince, stretching for the ball, edged it to Werner Coetsee at third slip for nine, but Smith and his captain Davy Jacobs steadied the ship with a 48-run partnership.

Just when it appeared that these two would take the game away from the Lions, they lost their wickets in successive overs, and the Lions were back on top. Smith, who appeared to have taken on the role of anchorman, was caught at third slip by Coetsee off Craig Alexander. He had been at the crease for 163 minutes and faced 123 balls for his 39 runs.

Jacobs went seven balls later, caught by wicketkeeper Matthew Harris off Andre Nel for 30 off 31 deliveries.

With two new batsmen at the crease, the Lions appeared to have the upper hand again, but Justin Kreusch and Robin Peterson threatened to snatch victory away from them with a partnership of 66 runs. However, shortly before tea, Peterson prodded at a delivery from Deacon and was caught by Harris for 21. The Warriors went to tea on 201 for seven needing just 50 runs for victory.

Nel struck in the third over after tea, when he trapped Wayne Parnell leg before wicket for seven. In the next over, Deacon bowled possibly the ball of the match as he sent Kreusch’s stumps flying for 49.

Petersen made century in each innings

Nel wrapped up the match five balls later when he took a very good low catch off his own bowling to dismiss Sinethebe Mjekula for one, to have the Warriors all out for 213.

The Lions had a number of heroes – Man of the Match Alviro Petersen made a century in each innings, Nel took four wickets in the second innings and Deacon three – but probably, when they look back on the match, they will extend special thanks to their tailenders, Nel and Kruger.

The Lions resumed play on Sunday morning with a lead of 213 runs. Nel and Kruger frustrated the Warriors for 44 minutes, putting on 37 runs before Nel was bowled by Tsotsobe for 40. Thirty-seven was the margin by which the Lions won their first Supersport Series match since February 2007.

Lions snatch victory : Sport: Cricket

The country’s Sunday Times newspaper said talks about a new race from 2011 at the Kyalami circuit, last scene of a F1 event in 1993, are taking place between the provincial Gauteng government and Bernie Ecclestone.

The newspaper said the F1 chief executive has agreed in principle, and that a memorandum of understanding could be signed by the end of the year.

South African race officials are understood to have inspected the F1 venues in Melbourne and Silverstone, and will be trackside for the sport’s first ever night race in Singapore in two weeks.

A government spokesman would not comment specifically about F1, but he said: “We value the contribution motor sport can make to the economy of the province and will continue to look at opportunities.”

It is suggested that F1 officials have inspected the Kyalami circuit, which has hosted many South African grands prix, and given guidance about what would need to be done to get the venue up to the sport’s modern standards.

A spokesman for Motorsport SA, the controlling body of all motorsport in South Africa, said a local formula one race is “very possible” but revealed there has been no approach by the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

In January, Renault announced that it entered a partnership agreement to promote the Gauteng province.