Ken Borland

Our DP World Lions men’s team has only had to endure the bitter taste of defeat twice in this CSA T20 Challenge campaign, without playing their best cricket yet, which speaks to their ability to get the job done in tight situations.

They were at it again at the weekend when they beat the Auto Investments North-West Dragons by five runs in Potchefstroom to ensure they finished top of the log and will host Qualifier 1 at the DP World Wanderers Stadium on Tuesday evening. Win that and we go straight through to Sunday’s final, defeat would mean a second chance when they take on the winners of Wednesday’s Eliminator between the Dragons and WSB Western Province.

The DP World Lions were defending a total of 170 for three against the Dragons, built around a classy 59 off 38 balls by the veteran No.3 Rassie van der Dussen and a punishing 62 not out off 39 deliveries by young Connor Esterhuizen, who was the Batsman of the Match.

North-West were then restricted to 165 for six in their 20 overs, #ThePrideOfJozi attack once again producing the goods, even when the home side needed 27 runs off the last three overs. Evan Jones kept his nerve as he conceded just nine runs off the last over, but it was the thrilling left-arm paceman Kwena Maphaka who produced the matchwinning over as he conceded just three runs in the penultimate over.

Maphaka had earlier bowled both Dragons openers with superb deliveries as he finished with excellent figures of two for 28 in his four overs and the Bowler of the Match award. Tshepo Moreki also took two wickets, while spinners Nqaba Peter and Reeza Hendricks kept things tight with five overs between them going for just 29 runs.

“We’re finding ways to win, even though we haven’t played our best cricket yet. We’re coming out on top in those big moments and to finish top of the table was a good feat,” happy head coach Russell Domingo said.

“Connor has a lot of potential, he’s only 23 and hasn’t played a lot of cricket. I have plenty of hope for both him and Mitchell van Buuren, they can be very, very good players. And then it’s great to have Rassie’s calmness coming in at three.”

Our DP World Lions’ opponents on Tuesday evening will be the Momentum Multiply Titans, a team that will boast several players who have really mastered the T20 format. The fact that the Titans beat the Pride by 117 runs in our home den in the opening round of the competition, and yet the DP World Lions still ended up topping the standings, illustrates their tremendous resilience.

“The past will have no bearing on the Qualifier, it’s a one-off match between two teams who have some seriously good matchwinners. We take real confidence in the way we played after that first game,” Domingo said.

Our DP World Lions men’s team head to Potchefstroom on Saturday for a top-of-the-log final round T20 showdown with the Auto Investments North-West Dragons, and have greeted their midweek loss to Western Province in mature fashion.

Whoever wins the Potchefstroom clash will finish top of the CSA T20 Challenge standings and will enjoy hosting  privileges for Qualifier 1, as well as any other playoff game in which they are involved.

A washed out match will leave North-West in first place because they are currently one point ahead of the Pride, following the DP World Lions’ four-wicket loss to Western Province in Johannesburg.

A two-paced pitch saw #ThePrideOfJozi post 145 for seven, Wandile Makwetu (41 off 23) and Rassie van der Dussen (43 off 33) leading the way with the bat. Delano Potgieter was outstanding with the ball as he took two for four in three overs, including a maiden, but the visitors edged home with three balls to spare thanks to Eddie Moore’s lone hand (87* off 62 balls).

Coach Russell Domingo acknowledged that it was not the team’s best all-round performance this season, even the fielding and catching being a little sloppy. But the experienced mentor said perhaps that display had come at the right time.

“We had won four on the bounce and, in terms of the standings, we still would have had to beat the Dragons to finish first. Which would obviously be great because of the home playoffs you get. So if there was a game to lose then it was probably that one.

“We now have three games to win to win the title again, and the last match was a good wake-up call. We are still a long way from perfect, we’ve had a few ugly, scrappy wins. But last season was similar, we peaked at the right time. Hopefully it’s a similar scenario this time and we start playing our best cricket towards the end of the competition,” Domingo said.

There will be at least one change to the DP World Lions team as wicketkeeper/opener Wandile Makwetu unfortunately bust a finger in the field against Western Province. Connor Esterhuizen will take over the gloves as he did in midweek, but he will stay in the middle-order.

Makwetu made the opener’s slot his own this season as he belted 154 runs at a strike-rate of 133.91. Zubayr Hamza is likely to return to the starting XI, and move up from his regular No.3 slot to open the batting.

“Wandile’s broken finger is most unfortunate because he has ensured we have been starting very well. Historically the J.B. Marks Oval has a good pitch and outfield, you get value for money for your strokes. So you generally want to chase or if you are batting first, then you have to put up a big score. We know the Dragons are a tough side and they have a handful of big, formidable players,” Domingo said.

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.

Victory over Boland in Paarl at the weekend has ensured our DP World Lions men’s team go into the final week of round-robin action in the CSA T20 Challenge at the top of the log, but it was no cruise for our gutsy Pride.

Having lost the toss, our DP World Lions had to bat second and, after another clinical bowling display, they may have been chasing only 130, but the Boland Park pitch just became slower and lower as the day progressed and #ThePrideOfJozi in the end won with six wickets in hand, but with just two balls to spare.

The hard-fought victory, their fourth in a row, mean they go into Wednesday’s match against Western Province at the DP World Wanderers Stadium with a one-point lead over the North-West Dragons at the top of the log. 

Leg-spinner Junaid Dawood again excelled as he took three for 21 to become the leading wicket-taker in the competition this season, and he was well-backed by our pair of returning Proteas spinners, Bjorn Fortuin (4-0-22-0) and Nqaba Peter (4-0-28-1). Paceman Lutho Sipamla was also excellent with the ball, taking two for 19 in three overs.

Reeza Hendricks then showed his experience and class as he steered the Pride to victory with a fluent 72 not out off just 50 deliveries, a matchwinning effort with the bat. Zubayr Hamza scored 37 and it was their second-wicket stand of 82 in a dozen overs that was the backbone of the successful chase.

While praising the resilience and determination of the team in bouncing back from a poor opening match against the Titans, assistant coach Jimmy Kgamadi says our DP World Lions are still trying to improve with every outing as they look to defend their title.

“As coaches, we are very pleased because we did not start well against the Titans, who hammered us, really. But the team has shown great character to come back the way they have. And also to do it on the road in Bloemfontein and Paarl, to pull those matches through is great,” Kgamadi said.

“Paarl is a difficult place to play because it is very challenging conditions, a very slow pitch. We played three spinners to suit the conditions and that just shows the good depth in the squad, we can play in any conditions.

“For Reeza to avail himself to us is very special, he could have spent time with his family instead. He brings such experience and seniority, and enormous stability to our batting. He also uplifts guys like Zubayr, Wandile Makwetu, Connor Esterhuizen and Mitch van Buuren when they bat with him.

“But we never felt we had it in the bag because Boland bowled and fielded very well and the pitch went very slow, it really was difficult to score. But the guys held their nerve and were able to take it deep,” Kgamadi said.

Now the DP World Lions will be back in home conditions in Johannesburg against a Western Province team who are in sixth position in the standings and so desperately need a win to keep their hopes of being in the playoffs alive.

Our DP World Lions have shown glimpses of their best in each of the departments – the batting against the Warriors in their second game, the bowling in the first half of the innings against the Dolphins and against Boland, and the fielding versus the Knights in Bloemfontein – but Kgamadi is hopeful that #ThePrideOfJozi will be able to put all three facets together in a complete performance against Western Province.

“I’m still waiting for that great all-round performance, when all parts of our game come together. We’ve seen glimpses, but it hasn’t all come together from the first over to the 20^th and I can’t wait for when the puzzle all comes together. But the attitude and energies of the team is certainly up there,” Kgamadi said.