Lions set Warriors mammoth score at Wanderers

Wicketkeeper-batsman Wandile Makwetu’s brilliant half century helped the DP Lions set a mammoth score of 240 in their CSA T20 Challenge encounter against the Dafabet Warriors at DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday evening.

The 25-year old, Makwetu smashed five sixes and two boundaries for his 55 runs off 41 balls and propelled the Lions to 239-4 after 20 overs.

He also shared a 75-run third wicket partnership with Reeza Hendricks which helped rejuvenate and resurrect the Lions innings after being 24-1 in the fourth over.

Lions openers Zubayr Hamza and Makwetu laid a solid foundation for the home team with bat after their captain Mitchell van Buuren won the toss and chose to bat.

The pair reached 24 runs for the Dolphins in the first three overs before Hamza mistimed his slog and was caught at mid on by Siya Plaatjie off Beyers Swanepoel’s bowling.

The Lions made 41-1 for the first power play with Makwetu and Hendricks out in the middle.

Two overs later Makwetu who had a slow start to his innings stepped on the accelerated and hit Warriors spinner Senuran Muthusamy for 24 runs.

Makwetu bought up his first T20 career fifty in the same over which included fours sixes.

In the 11th over and with the Lions one run short of the 100th mark the dangerous Makwetu was dismissed by Siya Semetu after his attempted shot was caught at long off by Plaatjie.

Hendricks followed suite to the dressing room in the 14th over for his 41 runs off 27 balls after being mistiming his shot to Matthew Breetzke at long on of the bowling off Chris King, leaving the Lions 144-3.

Delano Potgieter who played a 36 run off 15 balls cameo and shared a 45 run partnership with Hendricks, was sent packing in the 15th over after edging a Plaatjie length ball behind to Jean Du Plessis.

The skipper Van Buuren(41 off 16 balls )and Connor Esterhuizen(40 off 17 balls) finished with unbeaten scores and a sixth wicket partnership of 87 runs.

King, Plaatjie, Swanepoel and Simetu and King all picked up one wicket for the visitors.

DP WORLD LIONS: Zubayr Hamza, Wandile Makwetu(wk), Reeza Hendricks, Mitchell van Buuren(c), Connor Esterhuizen, Delano Potgieter, Evan Jones, Tshepo Moreki, Lubabalo, Sipamla, Kwena Maphaka, Junai Dawood.

DAFABET WARRIORS: Matthew Breetzke(c), Andile Mogakane, JP King, Jean Du Plessis(wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Sinethemba Qeshile, Patrick Kruger, Beyers Swanepoel, Chris King, Siya Semetu and Siya Plaatjie