Ken Borland

Despite a small hiccup in the T20 match, DP World Lions women’s coach Shaun Pretorius is sticking to the same squad that did duty in Bloemfontein, with the addition of three returnees from injury, for this weekend’s HollywoodBets Pro Series matches at home against the South-Western Districts Garden Route Badgers.

Our DP World Lions started the season with an impressive Pro50 win over the Free State Knights, headlined by Karabo Meso’s brilliant century and the all-round form of Jenna Evans, but they lost by six wickets with two balls remaining in their Pro20 encounter.

Given that #ThePrideOfJozi had slipped to 113 for five in the one-day match before Meso and Evans batted sensationally to add 171 for the sixth wicket, and that they scored just 115 for five in the T20 game, it is good news that two leading batters have recovered from injury and will return to the squad this weekend – veteran Kirstie Thomson and 20-year-old Netherlands international Madison Landsman.

“We’ve added to the squad with Kirstie back and Madison over her concussion and having scored a century in a club game. Plus our left-armer, Relebohile Mkhize, is back from injury and she was definitely one of our unsung heroines last season, both as a bowler and a member of the team. She is under-rated, but she is so consistent and strikes at the right times for us,” Pretorius said.

“The youngsters got us out of a hole in the 50-over match, but we want to show our backing in our selection. In the T20 game, the pitch was quite up-and-down and our batters just need to read the game better, to understand the conditions and not assume anything. The pitches are deteriorating more because we are having longer matches on them.

“The intent from the batters was not really there and some bowlers did not hit their straps, so we were on the back foot. But we have a quality attack and we did well to make a game of it,” Pretorius said.

In his dozen years and more involvement in women’s cricket, Pretorius said Meso’s innings in Bloemfontein was perhaps the best he has ever seen.

Meso came to the crease at 52 for three in the 10^th over, the DP World Lions having lost two wickets in successive deliveries, and the 17-year-old eased her way in measured fashion to a 56-ball half-century, with six fours. But as her partnership with Evans grew, the wicketkeeper/batted laid into the Knights bowlers, ending with an astonishing 128 not out off 129 deliveries, with 15 fours and a six.

“It’s probably the best innings I’ve seen in the last 12 to 15 years,” Pretorius said. “Just the way she assessed the situation and tried to build partnerships, and then she knew exactly when to take the game forward.

“Jenna was also phenomenal, scoring 65 not out and then making the breakthrough with the ball when Free State had a hundred partnership and then wrapping up the innings with four wickets. They both have a very bright future ahead.”

The Badgers come to the DP World Wanderers Stadium having lost both their Pro50 and Pro20 matches against the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins in Oudtshoorn in the opening round of fixtures.

T20 cricket is renown for spectacular catches, but our DP World Lions men’s team were nevertheless exceptional in the field, taking some truly hectic grabs, during their 47-run win over the Free State Knights in their CSA T20 Challenge match in Bloemfontein in midweek.

Electing to bat first, our DP World Lions cobbled together 142 for seven, thanks to an all-round batting effort led by Wandile Makwetu (40 off 34 balls) and captain Mitchell van Buuren (32 off 22). It was a decent score in the conditions, but not an unbeatable one.

The Knights had taken some superb catches in the field, but #ThePrideOfJozi raised the bar even higher as the fielders backed up a clinical bowling effort with some magnificent takes.

There were three stunning catches inside the powerplay as our DP World Lions reduced the Knights to 24 for five after six overs.

Dangerman Rilee Rossouw was removed for just 6 as Connor Esterhuizen dived full length at cover to intercept a fierce blow off Tshepo Moreki in spectacular fashion. Delano Potgieter then took a brilliant running catch at third man to dismiss Garnett Tarr for a duck off Evan Jones, who three balls later snaffled an outstanding return catch, lunging forward and to his left, to get rid of Dian Forrester, also for a duck.

Former Protea Gihahn Cloete was digging in for the Knights, but Josh Richards rushed in from point and scored a direct hit from side-on to run him out for 17. Jones also effected an impressive run out with a massive throw from deep cover, athletically taken by wicketkeeper Makwetu, to remove Free State captain Dane Piedt (2).

It was Makwetu who then capped the outstanding fielding display and wrapped up the innings with a marvellous low, one-handed catch diving to his left to dismiss Malusi Siboto (1) off Liutho Sipamla, the home side being bundled out for 95 inside 18 overs, earning the DP World Lions a bonus point win.

“It was really cool to see that standard of fielding,” head coach Russell Domingo said. “Jimmy Kgamadi has worked really hard on the team’s fielding and he deserves a lot of the credit. His coaching is showing rewards because the guys have bought into the intensity. There’s been a big improvement because fielding was not our strength last season.

“The players understand how fortunate they are to have this opportunity to play with our big players away, and it’s a really good environment in the squad at the moment. They’re really embracing our mantra of enthusiasm and intensity,” Domingo said.

While the coaching staff are loving the efforts of the replacement players – they have steered #ThePrideOfJozi to second on the log, just one point behind the Northerns Titans – some of those big names are now returning from Proteas duty and should see action when the DP World Lions take on Boland in Paarl on Saturday.

Given the venue for their fifth match of the campaign, Domingo is particularly pleased that spinners Bjorn Fortuin and Nqaba Peter are making a timely return to the Pride.

“Paarl is generally a low-scoring venue and spin comes into play, there’s never much pace down there. So it will be great to have Nqaba and Bjorn back available.

“But Junaid Dawood has done a fantastic job as our frontline spinner. He was very good last season when he had a couple of opportunities to play and I’m very pleased for him because he has put in a lot of effort and stayed patient for his chance,” Domingo said.

The 28-year-old leg-spinner is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the competition with 10.

The last time the DP World Lions men’s team were in Bloemfontein to play the Free State Knights in a T20 match was, astonishingly, way back in December 2017 and it was a tiff that only lasted 13 overs before rain forced play to be abandoned.

Our defending champions are back in the City of Roses to take on the Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge on Wednesday night, and it is something of a journey into the unknown given the gap between T20 fixtures there and the fact that the Free Staters boast a new-look side.

Back in 2017, the Knights had players like Keegan Petersen, who scored an unbeaten 52 off 40 balls to take them to 86 for two when play was stopped, Theunis de Bruyn and David Miller playing for them. Now, having returned from being relegated to Division II last season, they boast some exciting new talent like Garnett Tarr, Dian Forrester and Tiaan van Vuuren.

The Free Staters may have only won one of their three matches so far this season, but DP World Lions coach Russell Domingo says it would be ill-judged to underestimate them in any way.

“The Knights could easily have won three from three; one of their losses was in a super over. They have good young cricketers but also lots of experience with guys like Aaron Phangiso, Malusi Siboto and Gihahn Cloete. Along with Jacques Snyman and Tiaan van Vuuren, they are a helluva dangerous side and they had a great win over the Warriors in their last match,” Domingo said upon their arrival in Bloemfontein.

“So we need to do what we’ve been doing in our last two matches, it’s working at the moment. We want to be solid and well-organised up front, and then play from there. We have a much less experienced batting line-up than last season with Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks and Wiaan Mulder all away, and the last thing we want to do is lose early wickets like we did in our first game against the Titans.

“So our plan is to assess conditions in the first three overs or so, and then allow the really good finishers we have to play. I’m of the school of thought that T20 games are not won in the first six overs but in the last six overs of each innings,” Domingo said.

Evan Jones (SR 193.10), Connor Esterhuizen (SR 165.71) and captain Mitchell van Buuren (SR 159.37) are like heavyweight boxers, primed to deliver the knockout blow at the death.

Our DP World Lions won both their weekend matches in Johannesburg, but just to ensure their success does not breed any complacency, their game against the Dolphins ended up in a much closer finish than expected.

The bowling attack is yet to resemble the title-winning unit of last season, and has been dogged by wides and no-balls in the first three matches – 38 wides and six no-balls in total.

“I’m still reasonably happy because it’s always tricky starting the season with T20 because your bowlers are not yet battle-hardened. We’ve had quite a lot of extras, especially wides,” Domingo said.

With Kwena Maphaka staying behind in Johannesburg due to school exam commitments, Lutho Sipamla is likely to return to the attack. Codi Yusuf took his place in the last match against the Dolphins, after a tough opener versus the Titans, and bounced back in typical bulldog fashion with two key middle-order wickets while conceding just six runs-per-over.

“Codi was good, he’s a big bowler for us across all formats. He was just struggling a bit with confidence, but he’s done a lot of work with Allan Donald [bowling coach],” Domingo said.

A gorgeous century by young Karabo Meso that led to a commanding 116-run win in their HollywoodBets Pro50 Series match was the highlight of our DP World Lions women’s team’s weekend in Bloemfontein.

The 17-year-old Meso plundered a forceful, classy 128 off just 129 balls, as #ThePrideOfJozi made 296 for seven, having been sent in to bat by the Free State Knights. The DP World Lions then bowled out the home side for 180 inside 42 overs to start their season on a very good note.

Our DP World Lions were in trouble on 113 for five after 20 overs, when Meso was joined by SA U19 all-rounder Jenna Evans. The pair of Steyn City pupils – present and past – went on to add a matchwinning 171 for the sixth wicket in 29 overs.

Wicketkeeper/batter Meso collected 15 fours and a six in her fabulous innings, favouring the front foot as she unfurled several lovely drives, while also manipulating the ball for ones and twos in a superbly fluent effort.

Evans began patiently, getting herself properly settled, before accelerating to a robust 65 not out off 77 deliveries, with six fours.

Palesa Mapoo (23) and Diara Ramlakan (36) had looked good at the top of the order as they added 42 for the second wicket, but the DP World Lions tended to lose wickets in pairs, until the magnificent partnership between Meso and Evans.

Evans then had fun with the ball as she ran through the Knights lower-order to seal victory for the Pride, taking four for 18 in 5.1 overs with her canny spin bowling. Evans’ effort meant the Free Staters lost their last five wickets for just 18 runs, ensuring a bonus point win for our DP World Lions. Sunette Viljoen-Louw helped wrap things up with two for nine in three overs.

Sarah Nettleton also collected two wickets, while Lehlohonolo Meso bowled tidily up front, taking one for 18 in six overs.

In the Pro20 game, the DP World Lions could only muster 115 for five after being sent in to bat, with opener Nonkhululeko Thabethe the only batter to spend a long time at the crease, batting through the innings for 52 not out.

Evans continued loving her time in Bloemfontein with a quickfire 23 not out off 19 balls to give our Pride some hope of defending their total.

Despite the marvellous bowling of Fay Cowling, who took two for eight in three overs, Free State captain Izell Cilliers steered her team home with two balls to spare with an unbeaten half-century.

Lions captain Kgomotso Rapoo also fought hard with the ball, taking one for 19 in three overs.