Onke Nyaku claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to steer the NWU Dragons to a 72-run win over the Moothee Ram Tuskers in their CSA One-Day Cup match at Pietermaritzburg Oval on Sunday.
The Dragons, who were inserted to bat first by the Tuskers, scored 291/7 in 50 overs. Their bowlers, led by Onke Nyaku, bowled the hosts out for 219 runs in 46.2 overs.
Nyaku recorded his new career-best List A bowling figures, six wickets for 41 runs in 7.2 overs, in the victory. This is his maiden five-wicket haul in the format. Nyaku firmly swung the pendulum in the Dragons’ favour with a sensational display of middle overs bowling.
The medium pacer claimed four wickets for six runs in a match-winning three-over spell. He dislodged the Tuskers’ top scorer, Malcolm Nofal (66), as well as Andile Mogakane (11), Sean Gilson (4), and Jonty Rapulana, in his spell. Nyaku completed his five-wicket haul with the wickets of Ntando Zuma (23) and Daryn Dupavillon (0) in the 47th over.
Caleb Seleka chipped in with a brace of wickets, while Alfred Mothoa chimed in with a single wicket. The Dragons showed better discipline with the ball and conceded 16 extras compared to the Tuskers’ 32.
Earlier in the day, Dian Forrester showed great temperament while compiling a well-made 67-ball 68 runs in the latter part of the innings. The half-century, his fourth in List A cricket, catapulted the Dragons to an unassailable total. The allrounder, who arrived at the crease in the 26th over, bid his time before accelerating in the final 10 overs.
Forrester shared a brilliant 79-run sixth-wicket partnership with Ruan de Swart (34*). He lost his wicket when he holed out to Michael Erlank at deep mid-wicket while trying to heave a Daryn Dupavillon delivery over the boundary for a six.
Forrester benefited from the platform laid by Meeka-eel Prince earlier in the innings. The opening batter, who spent 29 overs in the middle, held the Dragons’ innings together with a steady 61 runs from 75 deliveries. This is his second List A half-century and he faced 66 balls to get there. Like Forrester, Prince reached the landmark with a six.
Prince showed great adaptability in his approach; he was content to absorb the pressure when the situation required him to do so and attacked when the opportunity presented itself. Prince's industrious innings ended when he was trapped lbw while trying to reverse sweep a Michael Erlank delivery.
Daryn Dupavillon was the pick of the bowlers for the Tuskers. The pacer, who kept things quiet in the powerplay, finished the match with three wickets for 52 runs in nine overs, while Hardus Viljoen and Michael Erlank contributed a wicket each.
TUSKERS: Jonty Rapulana, Ben Compton, Malcolm Nofal, Michael Erlank, Wayne Parnell (capt), Andile Mogakane, Sean Gilson, Ntando Zuma (wk), Hardus Viljoen, Bamanye Xenxe, Daryn Dupavillon.
DRAGONS: Meeka-eel Prince (wk), Dominic Hendricks, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Rubin Hermann, Paul James, Dian Forrester, Caleb Seleka, Ruan de Swardt, Migael Pretorius, Onke Nyaku, Alfred Mothoa.