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Lions tear Dragons apart at the Wanderers

cricket14 April 2024 15:49| © MWP
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Zubayr Hamza and Connor Esterhuizen © Gallo Images

The DP World Lions put on a clinical performance as they registered a 10-wicket bonus-point win over the Auto Investment North West Dragons in their CSA T20 Challenge match at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.

The Dragons, who won the toss and elected to bat first, stumbled and crawled their way to 85 in 18.2 overs in the face of a disciplined bowling innings from the hosts.

The Lions then made light work of that total and scored 86 without losing a wicket in 9.2 overs.

They completed the chase with 64 balls to spare.

Connor Esterhuizen was awarded the batter of the game honour for his knock.

The 22-year-old scored a well-crafted unbeaten 41 that featured four fours and two sixes.

His second six took the Lions over the line in a dominant outing.

His opening partner, Zubayr Hamza had identical figures. He scored 41 runs from 28 deliveries.

The only difference was in the boundaries. He scythed six fours and a single six in his innings.

Esterhuizen took control of the chase in the face of a ferocious reply from Kerwin Mungroo and Gideon Peters, the Dragons' opening bowlers.

They were the visitors' best chance at fighting their way back into the contest, and they put their best foot forward.

The seamers looked to emulate the Lions' bowlers, bowling good lines and lengths, and creating chances.

But none of those opportunities were taken. Hamza was dropped on two and Esterhuizen could have departed in the sixth over.

Hamza had a scratchy start, struggling to find his range and rhythm.

Esterhuizen allowed the 28-year-old to settle down, creaming boundaries while he kept the Dragons' bowlers on their toes and unsettled.

Once he got his eye in, Hamza opened his shoulders and began to rake in the runs.

Esterhuizen and Hamza's 86-run opening stand was the fifth time the Lions have constructed a first-wicket partnership that scores 50 or more runs.

The duo looked like they were batting on a different track, in different conditions to those the Dragons had earlier.

DEMOLITION JOB

Esterhuizen and Hamza had the easy job of administering the last rites on the match after their bowlers had done a thorough demolition job of the Dragons' line-up.

The six-bowler attack did not give the visitors breathing room. They strung together dot balls, while fielders applied pressure by cutting off boundaries and denying the Dragons singles.

Unlike the Dragons, the Lions also pouched all the catches they attempted, bar one, a difficult chance dropped by Temba Bavuma

Nqaba Peter, who is enjoying a fabulous season with the ball, led the charge with three wickets three wickets for 22 runs in four overs.

Wiaan Mulder and Lutho Sipamla bagged a brace of wickets each, while Codi Yusuf, Evan Jones and Bjorn Fortuin took a single wicket each.

All six bowlers employed by Fortuin took at least a single wicket and conceded runs at an economy rate of less than six runs an over.

Yusuf, who kicked off the exceptional bowling display, took the last wicket of the innings, to end the Dragons' nightmare with the bat.

Wihan Lubbe scored a quick-fire 22 off 14, in an innings that featured a single four and two sixes.

The Dragons' batting was so desultory that no one else hit a six and no one scored more than a single four.

Lubbe, the highest run-scorer, creamed a single four in his innings.

The entire Dragons line-up combined to score six boundaries.

The visitors' second-highest run-scorer, Raynard van Tonder scored a single four on his way to a run-a-ball 12.

The rest of the batting order managed single-digit scores.

Kerwin Mungroo was the best bowler for the Dragons.

Despite not taking a wicket, the pacer had the best economy among his fellow Dragons bowlers with an economy rate of 5.34.

He conceded 16 runs in his three overs. The rest of the Dragons' attack went at nine runs an over or more.

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