Tristan Stubbs’s brilliant, unbeaten 81 fell just short of getting the Dafabet Warriors over finishing line as they lost a dramatic CSA 50-over match against the North West Dragons by just two runs at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Friday night.
Needing another 27 runs for victory from the final 26 balls Stubbs and last man Ziyaad Abrahams inched their way toward victory with Stubbs doing all the scoring and Abrahams all the defending before the number 11 was brilliantly run out by Heino Kuhn having faced nine balls without scoring.
Stubbs finished a frustrated 81 not out from 85 balls (8x4) as the Warriors were dismissed for 282 in 49.3 overs in reply to the Dragons' total of 284-7 after being asked to bat first.
The 25-year-old right hander batted until the 34th over to reach 79 from 105 balls with six fours and two sixes after Warriors fast bowler Beyers Swanepoel had taken three quick wickets to help reduce the home side to 82-4.
Lesego Senokwane anchored the North West Dragons innings to a competitive total by batting until the 34th over to reach 79 from 105 balls with six fours and two sixes after Warriors fast bowler Beyers Swanepoel had taken three quick wickets to help reduce the home side to 82-4.
Twenty-five-year-old Senokwane was eventually caught behind by Sinethemba Qeshile off the bowling of Siya Plaatjie but his patient defence stemmed the fall of wickets and he was joined by Nicky van den Bergh (42 from 64 balls, 3x4) in a vital stand of 86 for the fifth wicket.
With the innings rebuilt and a platform laid for the ‘slog overs’ Senuran Muthusamy and Delano Potgieter both scored at over a run-a-ball hitting five sixes between them to push the total towards 300 on a slowish pitch unconducive to fluent stroke play.
Potgieter was caught at cover by Stubbs for a fine 41 from only 33 deliveries (3x4, 3x6) while Muthusamy finished with an excellent, unbeaten 60 from 50 deliveries with four fours and a pair of sixes.
Swanepoel was the pick of the bowlers with 3-46 from his 10 overs while new ball partner, Ziyaad Abrahams, conceded just 40 runs from his allocation of 10 overs.
Left-arm seamer Akhona Mnyaka collected an early wicket but was expensive in the closing overs returning an analysis of 2-76. Offspinner Wihan Lubbe was also tidy but wicketless with 0-48 from his 10.
Jordan Hermann (62 from 68 balls) held the Warriors' top order together and Lesiba Ngoepe (44 from 39 balls) added much needed dash in the lower order but wickets continues to fall with Potgieter (2-42), Eldred Hawken (2-51) and the excellent Muthusamy completing a wonderful all-round game with a return of 3-45 from his 10 overs.
DRAGONS: Lesego Senokwane, Wesley Marshall, Thabang Mokoena, Heino Kuhn, Shaylin Pillay, Nicky van den Berg, Senuran Muthusamy, Delano Potgieter, Eldred Hawken, Renaldo Meyer, Kerwin Mungroo.
WARRIORS: Matthew Breetzke, Jordan Hermann, Wihan Lubbe, Diego Rosier, Sinethemba Qeshile, Tristan Stubbs, Beyers Swanepoel, Akhona Mnyaka, Ziyaad Abrahams, Siya Plaatjie, Tiaan van Vuuren.