The Gbets Warriors kept alive their slim hopes of making the semifinals with a spirited five-wicket victory, with a bonus point, in their CSA T20 Challenge match against the Imperial Lions at St.George’s Park in Gqberha on Saturday.
Having restricted the Lions to a modest 142 for six with a superb display of spin bowling, the Warriors were intent on winning inside 16 overs and were indebted to opener Wihan Lubbe for his aggressive 46 from 30 balls (6x4, 1x6) and the excellent Lesiba Ngoepe for a fine, unbeaten 38 from only 24 deliveries with five fours and a six.
With three runs required from the final two balls of the 16th over, the Warriors captain played a brave lap-sweep against seamer Tladi Bokako which raced to the fine leg boundary to win the game, collect the potentially vital bonus point and eliminate the Lions from the playoffs.
Earlier, the quartet of Warriors spinners kept a tight lid on the Lions batters as they struggled to 142 for six after being asked to bat first. Left-arm orthodox Tsepo Ndwandwa (3-0-12-2) and left-arm wrist-spinner Lizo Makhosi (4-0-26-2) claimed a couple of wickets each while canny veteran Jon Jon Smuts bowled two overs in the Power Play which cost just eight runs before finishing with the excellent analysis of 4-0-20-0. Off-spinner Lubbe collected 1-31.
Reeza Hendricks was the only Lions batter to come to terms with the slow men on a slow and low pitch, making 61 from only 41 balls with nine fours before he was run out by a Matthew Breetzke throw from the deep attempting a second run in a desperate bid to keep the strike.
Ndwandwa clean bowled Kagiso Rapulana (6) and Sisanda Magala (2) while Makhosi also hit the stumps with turning deliveries to dismiss Shane Dadswell (9) and Bjorn Fortuin (5). Not to be denied, Lubbe also hit the stumps to bowl Mitchell van Buuren for 13 from 14 balls.
Juan Landsberg gave the Lions hope and something to defend, smashing an unbeaten 21 from only 14 deliveries while Dom Hendricks tore into the last over from Dane Paterson (2-0-23-0), belting 18 from a mere six balls. Both men struck a six and a four apiece.
WARRIORS: Matthew Breetzke, Wihan Lubbe, JJ Smuts, Lesiba Ngoepe, Tristan Stubbs, Diego Rosier, Sinethemba Qeshile (captain), Tiaan van Vuuren, Akhona Mnyaka, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Lizo Makhosi
LIONS: Reeza Hendricks, Kagiso Rapulana, Shane Dadswell, Juan Landsberg, Mitchell Van Buuren, Dominic Hendricks, Sisanda Magala, Bjorn Fortuin, Malusi Siboto (captain), Codi Yusuf, Tladi Bokako