Boland limp despite Kaplan half century

Junaid Dawood (4-0-21-3) led a disciplined bowling performance from the DP World Lions attack as they restricted Goldrush Boland to a modest total of 129-7 after the home side chose to bat first in their CSA T20 Challenge match at Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday.

The legspinner displayed impeccable control on a typically, slow, spin-friendly pitch as the home side’s batsmen all struggled for timing accumulating just six fours and two sixes between them.

Lions captain Bjorn Fortuin (4-0-22-0) was no less effective with his left arm spin while fast bowler Lutho Sipamla’s three overs earned him the first wicket to fall when opener Clyde Fortuin (12) mistimed a drive to mid off and the last for tidy figures of 3-19

No 3 Gavin Kaplan top-scored with an unbeaten 53 from 41 balls with a four and two sixes and opener Grant Roloefsen limped to 27 from 29 balls before top-edging a sweep against Dawood to short fine leg.

Aviwe Mgijima (11) and Keith Dudgeon were both caught slog-sweeping to Zubayr Hamza on the deep midwicket boundary while Lehan Botha (6) edged Dawood to ‘keeper Connor Esterhuizen and Shaun von Berg was trapped lbw by legspinner Nqaba Peter (4-0-28-1) for just five from 11 balls.

The home side must win all of their three remaining games to have any chance of qualifying for the semifinals as they have just a solitary win from their first four games. The Lions, however, are well placed with three wins from their opening four matches and are third on the log one point behind the Momentum Multiply Titans.

GOLDRUSH BOLAND: Clyde Fortuin (captain), Grant Roelofsen (wkt), Gavin Kaplan, Aviwe Mgijima, Lehan Botha, Keith Dudgeon, Shaun von Berg, Ayabulela Gqamane, Imran Manack, Glenton Stuurman, Siyabonga Mahima.

DP WORLD LIONS: Wandile Makwetu, Reeza Hendricks, Zubayr Hamza, Mitchell van Buuren, Connor Esterhuizen (wkt), Delano Potgieter, Evan Jones, Bjorn Fortuin (captain), Nqaba Peter, Lutho Sipamla, Junaid Dawood.