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Lions lock eyes on CSA T20 challenge

cricket07 March 2024 14:48| © Cricket SA
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The powerhouse DP World Lions men’s team are determined to claim a second trophy this season. First up in their CSA T20 Challenge campaign is the Rocks at the DP World Wanderers Stadium on Friday night.

Fielding a top-class outfit, #ThePrideOfJozi boast a couple players named in the Betway SA20 Team of the Tournament in Ryan Rickelton and Wiaan Mulder, there is a thrilling prospect of Kagiso Rabada and his protégé Kwena Maphaka sharing the new ball, and a wonderful batting line-up with other Proteas stars in Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma.

Apart from Rickelton and Mulder blazing a trail in the SA20, the DP World Lions are guided by a coach in Russell Domingo who has played a key role in the Sunrisers Eastern Cape winning back-to-back titles as their batting coach.

The experienced Domingo will know exactly how to play winning T20 cricket in South Africa.

Rickelton, who was the leading run-scorer in the SA20 with 530 runs at an average of 58.89 and a strike-rate of 173.77, is setting a confident tone right up front.

“We will have a full squad, barring KG when he goes to the IPL, so we have a powerhouse team, obviously we’re going to put our names up for the overall win. We would be upset if we don’t get that far and we’re really looking forward to it after winning the four-day title, which was a big incentive for us because we haven’t won that in a while. Now I want to make sure I make an impact for the Lions, that is hugely important for me,” Rickelton said.

Allrounder Mulder earned a spot in the SA20 Team of the Tournament mostly for his batting, where he averaged a healthy 37.13 and scored at a dynamic 157.14, continuing what has been a top-class summer with the bat.

Mulder shone as a finisher, but also as a safeguard who could come in during the powerplay and lay a platform.

Mulder said he went into the competition with confidence, thanks to, again, the freedom given him by the Lions coaches, and a clear job description from Durban Super Giants coach Lance Klusener.

“Russell Domingo and Hashim Amla have been incredible for my game, they have really motivated me and allowed me to just go and play, to break the shackles. Because of them I took a lot of confidence into the SA20. I discovered a couple of new things about my game during the tournament. I worked really hard on playing spin and finishing, which is a part of the game Mark Boucher thought I lacked when he was Proteas coach. I spent quite a lot of time working with Heinrich and Dwaine Pretorius, but I’m never going to be that type of batter, having a perfect swing and getting carried away hitting sixes. But I can hit space and I can score different sorts of boundaries, I can still score 50 off 25 balls.”

With the players that the Lions have, playing at a fast-action venue like the DP World Wanderers Stadium, and with so many of them knowing exactly what to do to win T20 games, there is no reason why our Pride should not back themselves to bring home another trophy, especially when you take Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen’s recent form in the Pakistan Super League.

For the much-valued Lions fan, it’s competition time, and Lions Cricket lead the pack with the ‘Caught in 20K’ competition.

The first one-handed clean catch at every Lions home match during the this CSA T20 Challenge, will win R20 000 in cash.

Match day tickets are available at TicketPro starting at R50.

DP WORLD LIONS CSA T20 CHALLENGE SQUAD:

Ryan Rickelton; Reeza Hendricks; Temba Bavuma ; Rassie van der Dussen ; Mitchell van Buuren ; Wiaan Mulder ; Evan Jones ; Bjorn Fortuin ; Tshepo Moreki ; Codi Yusuf ; Kwena Maphaka ; Zubayr Hamza ; Connor Esterhuizen ; Junaid Dawood ; Nqaba Peter ; Kagiso Rabada ; Delano Potgieter ; Lutho Sipamla.

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