Ken Borland

The DP World Lions men’s team dismissed World Sports Betting Western Province for 191 on the final day to seal an outstanding 125-run victory over their old rivals in their CSA 4-Day Series match in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Western Province had been set a target of 317 for victory and resumed on the fourth morning on 88 for three. Fast bowlers Tshepo Moreki and Codi Yusuf each took a wicket in their first overs of the day as the visitors suddenly found themselves 92 for five.

The DP World Lions had to work their way through some lower-order resistance from Western Province as George Linde and Mihlali Mpongwana (25) added 47 for the sixth wicket and Linde and Onke Nyaku (33) then put on 49 for the seventh wicket.

At 188 for six 40 minutes after lunch, #ThePrideOfJozi would have started to feel some concern with 129 needed for victory, but Moreki made the key breakthrough when he produced a snorter of a delivery to have Linde (29) fending a catch to gully.

Lutho Sipamla, who had earlier dismissed Mpongwana caught in the slips, then wrapped up the innings with three wickets in an over. The Proteas seamer jagged a delivery back into Nyaku to send his leg-stump tumbling, Mthiwekhaya Nabe (0) was then caught behind by wicketkeeper Connor Esterhuizen, and Jody Lawrence (0) fell to a magnificent, diving one-handed catch at gully by Josh Richards.

That left Sipamla with impressive figures of four for 51 in 15 overs, while the admirable Moreki finished with four for 44 in 19 overs.

The comprehensive victory by #ThePrideOfJozi, their second in a row at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, came despite being bowled out for a low score in their second innings.

The DP World Lions top-order was blown away on the third morning as they staggered to 45 for eight at lunch. That they eventually reached 121 all out was thanks to Delano Potgieter, whose 54 mirrored his matchwinning efforts against Western Province in last season’s CSA 4-Day Series final, and someone in the lower-order once again digging in to provide crucial support.

On this occasion it was Moreki, who batted for more than two hours in scoring 23 and adding 77 for the ninth wicket.

The DP World Lions were still able to set a daunting second-innings target thanks to the considerable lead of 195 they had on first innings.

Yusuf rent the Western Province middle and lower-order asunder as his fabulous five for 71 in 18.5 overs saw them bowled out for just 208 in their first innings. Moreki and Sipamla chipped in with a couple of wickets each.

The DP World Lions had batted impressively in their first innings, having won the toss and elected to bat first.

It was a grind on the first morning as captain Dominic Hendricks and Mo Manack reached 60 for one in 27 overs at lunch, but there was a change of gears after the break, with Manack (64) and Zubayr Hamza (77) both stroking fluent half-centuries.

The DP Wold Lions were in a powerful position on 268 for three at the end of the first day, and the ever-present Hendricks soldiered on to an epic, magnificent 161 not out. The left-hander batted for over nine hours and faced 370 deliveries in a defiant innings that laid the platform for the Pride’s victory. While he largely stayed in his bubble, Hendricks pounced on the loose ball and he also struck 21 fours and was particularly good on the cut and driving down the ground.

Bjorn Fortuin struck a quickfire 38 not out before the DP World Lons declared at the lunch break on the second day.

The commanding victory, and a haul of 23.46 bonus points, means #ThePrideOfJozi are the new log-leaders and they will be looking to build on their lead in their next game, which is also back at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, against the Dafabet Warriors from Eastern Province from Thursday.

The DP World Lions men’s team will welcome back pace bowler Lutho Sipamla from international duty for their CSA 4-Day Series match against World Sports Betting Western Province in Johannesburg, starting on Thursday.

Having gathered 36.68 points from their two matches so far, the DP World Lions are in third place on the log, but very well-placed, just 2.70 points behind the leaders, the North-West Dragons, who have played an extra game.

The DP World Lions played the Dragons in their previous match, coming away from Potchefstroom with a draw due to weather interruptions and a flat pitch.

But #ThePrideOfJozi will now be back at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, where they convincingly beat the Northerns Titans in their opening game. Sipamla took four for 83 in the first innings of that match and the Bullring has been a happy hunting ground for the seamer, with 35 wickets in nine matches there, at an average of 25.25.

Although the DP World Lions were shaded by less than a point in the bonus point battle last week in Potchefstroom, coach Russell Domingo said there were a lot of positives to be drawn from the contest.

“I thought we played really well, the bowling in particular was excellent,” Domingo said, “I thought the discipline was fantastic and the energy in the field was also there. North-West have also been playing good cricket lately.”

One of the stars of both #ThePrideOfJozi’s opening games has been all-rounder Bjorn Fortuin, who has scored back-to-back centuries. Against both the Titans and North-West, the 30-year-old has come to the crease with his team in tough situations, but he has made it seem as if he was batting on the beach, scoring 116 off just 95 deliveries in the win over their Gauteng neighbours, as well as taking three wickets in the second innings as the Titans were bowled out for just 156; and then he made 120 off 140 balls in Potchefstroom.

“Bjorn has been our four-day player of the season for two seasons in a row and he’s a fantastic bowler and a batsman with great ability too,” Domingo said. “He’s a really dangerous cricketer and an amazing character, feisty and tough. Technically, he’s playing very well too and I’m ecstatic for him because he’s the guy you want in your team when you are in trouble. I would want him in every team I coach,” Domingo said.

Seam-bowling all-rounder Wiaan Mulder will not be available against Western Province as he will be heading to the coast for the Proteas’ two Tests against Sri Lanka in Durban and Gqeberha.

Sipamla will no doubt pick up his overs, while young Mohammed Manack will come in to replace Mulder the batsman.

“Western Province will also be losing players like Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, Dane Paterson and Tony de Zorzi to the Test team, so they will have a few changes. But they are always a highly talented team, they gave us an amazing game in the five-day final last season and they beat us in the T20 this season. So we know it’s going to be tough against them, they have become a side that knows how to win,” Domingo said.

The DP World Lions ladies team upset the existing order of things in the HollywoodBets Pro50 Series in Johannesburg at the weekend, hammering the previously-unbeaten Western Province side with a bonus point to replace them in second place on the log.

Western Province had won the toss and sent the DP World Lions in to bat, picking up the important wickets of Proteas Tazmin Brits (14) and Sinalo Jafta (9) in the first 10 overs.

The tenacity of opener Nonkhululeko Thabethe (27) took her through to 20 overs, but when she fell, #ThePrideOfJozi were 73 for four.

But the experience of Sunette Viljoen-Louw, now batting in the middle-order, is an obvious strength of the DP World Lions, and the fightback began when she came to the crease.

The 41-year-old former Olympic silver medallist and Proteas player formed superb partnerships with the lower-order as the DP World Lions posted a most competitive 272 for nine in their 50 overs.

Karabo Meso, just 17 years old, scored 28 as she added 54 for the fifth wicket with Viljoen-Louw. The in-form Jenna Evans then scored a brisk 27 in a partnership of 79 for the sixth wicket, and Fay Cowling stroked the ball all around the DP World Wanderers Stadium in her 29 off just 19 deliveries, as she and Viljoen put on 34 for the seventh wicket.

Coming off a hugely successful season in British club cricket, Viljoen-Louw was out in the final over for a memorable 93 off 94 balls, with 11 elegant fours and a mighty six.

Western Province began their chase in ferocious fashion, with former Proteas captain Dane’ van Niekerk taking them to 94 for two after 13 overs.

But like the Empire in Star Wars, once the DP World Lions found the chinks to weaken them, their collapse was brutal.

Cowling removed opener Babette de Leede after she had bashed two boundaries in three balls, and then the lanky seamer returned in the 14^th over to have Van Nierkerk superbly caught by Meso, diving at point.

DP World Lions captain Kgomotso Rapoo then produced a marvellous spell of mesmerising spin bowling to run through the rest of the Western Province batting, taking five for 44 in eight overs as the visitors were bowled out for 184 in just 27-and-a-half overs.

Following their 88-run win in the Pro50 match, the DP World Lions conceded a mighty 198 for four in the T20 game.

Spinner Evans was the most impressive of the bowlers with two for 33 in her four overs.

Faced with such a big score, the DP World Lions did not produce their best with the bat, eventually being restricted to 142 for nine in their 20 overs, losing by 56 runs.

That was despite the marvellous start given to them by Viljoen-Louw (29 off 25) and Brits (40 off 25).

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.