The Lions' Neil McKenzie made a massive contribution for his side with a masterful 170 against the Warriors on the second day of the SuperSport Series match at the Wanderers on Friday.
When McKenzie was dismissed the Lions imploded losing their last four wickets for 29 runs to be all out for 511.
As the players walked off, the Warriors were in trouble on 115
for five with Ashwell Prince on 54 and Athenkosi Dyili on five.
The Warriors' chase went pear-shaped from the third-ball of the first over when Bevan Bennett was sent packing by Cliffe Deacon.
Pumi Matshikwe and Craig Alexander also got into the act, claiming the wickets of Colin Ingram and Jon-Jon Smuts and the visitors were 19 for three.
Deacon was brought back into the attack and it immediately produced dividends, with the quickie swinging it both ways.
He induced Arno Jacobs to nick one to Thami Tsolekile and trapped Kelly Smuts plumb in front. The Warriors, with only their heads above water, on 93 for five.
Earlier, McKenzie, who started the day on 81 and Thami Tsolekile on 25, rotated the strike and kept the scoreboard ticking over nicely, with McKenzie reaching his 43rd first-class century in the 11th over of the day.
It was a master-class performance from the stylish middle-order batsman who struck 11 boundaries and a towering six launched over cow-corner.
Just a few overs later Tsolekile reached his half-century with a four smote through extra cover.
However, three balls before the luncheon interval disaster struck, Tsolekile nicked a Simon Harmer delivery to Arno Jacobs at first-slip.
The Lions keeper had faced 120-balls and stroked 11 fours for his 75 and together with McKenzie had put on 135 for the sixth-wicket.
McKenzie (120), who hit some wonderful cuts and straight drives in an innings that lasted a tad under seven hours and 298-balls, edged a nondescript delivery from Harmer to the keeper Dyili.
Meanwhile in Cape Town, the highlight in the match between the Cobras and the Dolphins at Newlands was a third-wicket partnership of 98 between Imran Khan and Devon Conway for the Dolphins. The Cobras were earlier dismissed for 337 by the Dolphins.
The Dolphins' run chase got off to a rocky start losing both the wickets of Divan van Wyk and Ahmed Amla cheaply.
But Khan (55 not out) and Conway (51) consolidated to rebuild the innings.
At the close of play on Friday the Dolphins had 131 for four against the Cobras.
Resuming on their overnight score of 246 for five, the Cobras could only muster a further seven runs before Dane Vilas edged Friedel de Wet to glove-man Daryn Smit in the second over of the day.
Robbie Peterson offered only token resistance, before having his stumps rearranged.
Meanwhile, the Cobras' Gray was quietly going about his business, starting the day on 36 he edged to his half-century off 137-balls with seven fours.
The middle-order batsman went into the lunch on 58, but two overs after the resumption he was trapped in front by Friedel de Wet for the addition of only one run.
Gray's innings was the glue which held it together, as with his dismissal the last three wickets went down for 17 runs. – Sapa