The North West Dragons managed to stumble to a 10-run defeat from a position of needing 20 off 18 balls, with eight wickets in hand against the Dafabet Warriors at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom.
The Dragons got off to the ideal start thanks to the attacking approach of Lesego Senokwane and Wesley Marshall that led them to a 53-run opening partnership after five overs. The progress of the innnings momentarily halted when Senokwane ran himself out for 21 off 13 balls, but Marshall continued to bludgeon the ball to, and over, the boundary to make sure that they were ahead of the required run rate.
The demise of Marshall for a 35-ball 56, as he double-stepped to a tossed-up delivery and was stumped after missing an attempted slog, brought the innings to a bit of a halt as Khanya Cotani struggled to a 24-ball 16. By the time Cotani was bowled by Molefe, the Dragons only required 17 off the last two overs with the experienced, and well-set, Heino Kuhn still at the crease. However, Kuhn went for a big slog off the first ball of the next over, a slower ball by Glenton Stuurman that crashed into the wickets, as he gave himself too much room.
The Dragons would have believed that they still had a chance to clinch the win at the time as Duan Jansen strode to the crease, who has shown himself a more than capable striker of the ball in the tournament. Such beliefs were quickly diminished as Jansen pulled a full toss straight to the fielder at deep midwicket. The third umpire had a look at the height, but adjudged that the ball was dipping and seeing as Jansen was some way out of his crease, it was deemed it a legal delivery. The Dragons only managed nine runs off their last three overs five wickets, with Stuurman finishing with the best figures of the match, 2-26.
Earlier in the day the Warriors backed up their captain’s decision to bat first thanks to fifties from Wihan Lubbe and Diego Rosier, who also had a 79-run partnership, before a quickfire 29 off 16 balls by Matthew Breetzke lead them to their winning total of 166, despite Hardus Coetzer taking two wickets off consecutive deliveries, which included the promising Jordan Hermann. The Warriors are still sitting in the middle of the table after just their second win, while the Dragons are holding the wooden spoon at the moment.
NORTH WEST DRAGONS:Wesley Marshall, Lesego Senokwane, Heino Kuhn, Khanya Cotani, Senuran Muthusamy, Duan Jansen, Hardus Coetzer, Renaldo Meyer, Eldred Hawken, Caleb Seleka, Lwandiswa Zuma
DAFABET WARRIORS:Lesiba Ngoepe, Wihan Lubbe, Diego Rosier, Matthew Breetzke, Jordan Hermann, Sinethemba Qeshile, Beyers Swanepoel, Tiaan van Vuuren, Kgaudise Molefe, Glenton Stuurman, Tsepo Ndwandwa