Four wickets by DP World Lions allrounder Wiaan Mulder was the catalyst that saw them claim a bonus-point 43-run against the Dafabet Warriors in their CSA T20 Challenge clash in Gqeberha on Wednesday.
Mulder struck crucial blows to finish with figures of 4-14 from his four over spell while Evan Jones claimed 2-17 from 3.1 overs to restrict the Warriors to 108 all out and five balls left in the innings after the Lions posted 152/9 in their 20 overs.
The bonus point sees the Lions go one point ahead of the Warriors on 40 [points after 11 matches, with all to play for in the final two matches of the group stage.
🦁 LIONS ROAR TO THE TOP
— CSA Domestic Leagues (@DomesticCSA) April 17, 2024
A clinical display from the @LionsCricketSA to earn a convincing bonus point W over the Warriors 🏏
🦁Lions now lead by 1️⃣-point#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #CSAT20Challenge pic.twitter.com/kn5GCFlFdv
Earlier, a devastating spell of fast bowling by Warriors seamer Van Heerden saw him claim four wickets after a Ryan Rickelton half century saw the Lions reach 152/9 at the halfway stage.
Chasing 153 for victory, the hosts got off to a disastrous start, losing four wickets in the powerplay as the Lions' bowlers tore into the Warriors' top order removing skipper Matthew Breetzke (16) and Andile Mokgakane (6).
More wickets fell before the end of the powerplay, as Jiveshan Pillay was trapped leg before wicket by Wiaan Mulder for seven runs, while Evan Jones had Sinethemba Qeshile (4) caught by Nqaba Peter to leave the Warriors reeling on 32/4, having hit just two fours and a six after six overs.
Jordan Hermann (6) was out caught and bowled by Mulder while Patrick Kruger fell to the leg spin of Junaid Dawood as they slipped to 40/6 after eight overs.
The team total moved past 50 in the tenth over, still 102 runs behind with 60 balls left in the match.
Beyers Swanepoel and Liam Alder shared 36 runs for the seventh wicket, but when Swanepoel was dismissed for 22 by Jones and Alder fell for 19 to Mulder, the writing looked on the wall for the home side.
Siya Simetu (8) and Nealan van Heerden (14) shared 27 runs, taking the Warriors past 100 but he would perish trying to clear the ropes before his lower-order colleague was run out to close out the innings.
RICKLETON FIFTY
After being put in to bat by the Warriors, Rickelton shared a half century stand with Reeza Hendricks for the first wicket to get the Lions off to a fast start.
🦁 Another well-deserved 50 for our No.44
— DP World Lions (@LionsCricketSA) April 17, 2024
Well played Ryan! 👊#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #LionsCricket #ThePrideOfJozi pic.twitter.com/IybJ3zHkqa
Their 58-run stand ended when Siya Simetu had Hendricks caught by wicketkeeper Sinethemba Qeshile for 31 from 23 balls,
Rassie van der Dussen scored 17 at a run a ball, but both he and Temba Bavuma [1] fell in the space of five balls in the 12th and 13th overs to Nealan van Heerden and Alfred Mothoa respectively, as Rickelton surpassed fifty with a single.
The Lions opener added just two runs to the milestone before he too was dismissed by Mothoa, caught on the boundary by Mokgakane, as the Lions slipped to 106/4 with 5.5 overs remaining.
Van Heerden grabbed three wickets in the final two overs of his spell, sending Mitchell van Vuuren [8] and Wiaan Mulder [7] back to the dugout in the 17th over, before accounting for Lions skipper Bjorn Fortuin [7] in the 19th.
The final over by Beyers Swanepoel saw two wickets fall, first having Evan Jones [12] step on his wicket, before Breetzke ran out Nqaba Peter for a duck off the final ball of the innings.
Van Heerden and Mothoa shone with the ball, returning figures of 4-23 and 2-26 respectively from a combined eight overs while Simetu returned with 1-29 from his four over ration.