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Rickelton leads Lions to victory

cricket05 April 2024 20:15| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Ryan Rickelton © Gallo Images

Ryan Rickelton continued his remarkable form to lead the DP Lions to an emphatic seven-wicket-victory against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in a rain-affected nine-over CSA T20 Challenge game at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.

Opener Rickelton smashed an unbeaten 53 from only 23 balls as the Lions chased down a challenging target of 98-6 with a comfortable four balls to spare winning with 99-3 in just 8.2 overs.

Fellow opener Reeza Hendricks played a smaller but still significant role with 18 from nine balls while Rassie van der Dussen made 14 from 12 balls.

Earlier Bryce Parsons gave the Dolphins an astonishing start to their innings when he smashed 36 from the first two overs to lead his team to a total of 98-6 in a match reduced to nine overs per side because of rain.

Parsons helped himself to 19 runs from the first over from fast bowler Lutho Sipamla and another 17 from the second from spinner Bjorn Fortuin as the visitors reached 35-0 from the first two overs.

But Codi Yusuf trapped him lbw with the first ball of the third over having belted 36 from 13 balls with five fours and two sixes.

Captain Grant Roelofsen batted until the final over of the innings for 27 from 16 balls (3x4, 1x6) but the momentum of Parsons’s start was impossible to maintain as Marques Ackerman (8 from 10 balls) and Jason Smith (10 from 8 balls) struggled to find the boundary.

Remarkably, Fortuin (3-19) and Yusuf (3-15) claimed three wickets-a-piece from their two overs.

Wrist-spinner Nqaba Peter was just as impressive with 0-13 from his two overs.

Having secured second place on the log with their resounding 131-run demolition of WSB Western Province on Wednesday the home side have narrowed the gap on the Dafabet Warriors at the top with another victory.

Lions: Ryan Rickelton (wkt), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Mitchell van Buuren, Delano Potgieter, Evan Jones, Bjorn Fortuin (captain), Codi Yusuf, Lutho Sipamla, Nqaba Peter.

Dolphins: Grant Roelofsen (wkt), Bryce Parsons, Jon-Jon Smuts, Marques Ackerman, Khaya Zondo, Jason Smith, Andile Phelukwayo, Prenelan Subrayen (captain), Eathan Bosch, Ottniel Baartman, Okuhle Cele.

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