Six Gun Grill Western Province completed a clinical victory over the DP World Lions to clinch the CSA Women’s Provincial One-Day Cup title, edging the Hollywoodbets Dolphins who went down to the Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers on Saturday.
Experienced batter Saarah Smith recorded an unbeaten half-century to inspire Western Province to an eight-wicket victory within 28.4 overs while chasing the Lions’ total of 112 all out at the Orban Oval in Johannesburg, to confirm top spot at the conclusion of the 2022/23 One-Day Cup campaign.
In the only other Division One encounter that could have an impact on the fate of the trophy, the Dolphins needed a bonus point win to have any chance of usurping the log-leaders.
The Garden Route Badgers had other ideas though, as Tazmin Brits and Jané Winster starred with bat and ball respectively, to propel the home side to a 55-run win.
In Potchefstroom, the Glencore North West Dragons, who were mathematically relegated after the penultimate round, saved the best for last as Proteas Women all-rounder Anneke Bosch smashed an emphatic hundred to help her side to a 126-run triumph over the Fidelity Titans.
Heading into the final day of the season, Western Province had one hand on the trophy with a four-point cushion over second-placed Dolphins and the team from Cape Town began the day’s play with the expected confidence as they won the toss and elected to bowl first against the Lions.
Proteas’ all-rounder Delmi Tucker (2-19) started things off for the away side, removing both Lions openers, before Kirstie Thomson (24) and Nonkululeko Thabethe (22) looked to steady the ship.
That reprieve didn’t last long as the hosts lost the remainder of their batters without any further double-digit scores as the retiring Robyn Appels (3-23) and youngster Nosipho Vezi (3-32) ripped through the Lions batting order, bowling them out for 112.
BOSCH STEALS THE SHOW
In their chase, despite cheaply losing their opening batters, Smith and Faye Tunnicliffe (46) combined brilliantly for a 92-run stand for the third wicket to lead their side towards victory before finally wrapping up the encounter and the league title with 22.2 overs to spare.
At the Six Gun Grill Recreation Ground, the Dolphins won the toss and chose to bowl first knowing that a bonus point run chase could keep them in the title picture before Proteas opening batter Brits continued her fine form at the crease to record a 74-ball 98 (11 fours, 4 sixes) to strike a blow to the Dolphins’ hopes.
Brits’s knock, coupled with late cameos from Jané Winster (20*) and Khayakazi Mathe (17*) took the Badgers to 225/8 after their allotted 50 overs before Winster returned with ball in hand to pick up four wickets for 25 runs as the Dolphins were dismissed for 170.
Dolphins captain Nondumiso Shangase top-scored with a valiant 65* off 86 balls as she saw her side lose by 55 runs to remain in second place.
In the other Division One clash, the all-action Bosch stole the show with an emphatic 135* off 112 deliveries, aptly supported by Elandri Janse van Rensburg (64 off 104 balls; 7 fours) to help the Dragons post a daunting 299/4 after 50 overs in their final Division One match of the season.
With the ball, the Dragons turned to Alyssa Erxleben (3-19) and Yvodia Yekile (3-36) as the pair picked up three wickets apiece to assist in the effort to resist the Titans to 173 all out, with Titans captain Robyn Searle left stranded on 86* off 102 balls to wrap up the 2022/23 campaign.
The CSA Women’s Provincial T20 Cup concludes on Sunday, 2 April with a blockbuster finale between the top two teams in the table in Western Province and the Lions at the Orban Oval in Johannesburg.
The action gets under way at 10am with every ball streamed live via @ProteasWomenCSA on Instagram and Twitter.