A strong all-round performance from the North West Dragons secured them an impressive 65-run win over the DP World Lions in their CSA One-Day Cup match at DP World Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon.
The Lions went into the match in top form, having picking up two way wins over defending champs Western Province and Jukskei rivals the Titans, but back on home soil were no match for the Dragons who put in a ruthless display.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat the Dragons amassed a solid 310/6 in 49.2 overs, with a rain delay just before the end of their innings seeing the Lions set a DLS adjusted target of 315 in 49 overs.
Wihan Lubbe top scored for the visitors, striking an impressive 80 off 64 balls, hitting five sixes and four fours, while Matthew Kleinveld, 64 off 61 (7x4; 1x6) and captain Lesiba Ngoepe, 53no off 39 (4x4; 2x6) backed him up well.
The Lions were then never really in the game after slipping to 37/3 within the first 10 overs, and were always chasing the rate, leading to them falling well short on 249 all out.
Ruan de Swardt was the pick of the Dragons bowlers after picking up 3/34 in 8.2 overs, while Kerwin Mungroo was equally as impressive with 3/36 in eight overs, and Caleb Seleka chipping in with 2/62 in 10 overs.
The Lions chase got off to a disastrous start as Mungroo trapped opener Muhammad Manack LBW for a second ball duck.
De Swardt then had Wandile Makwetu (9) caught by Lubbe, and Reeza Hendicks (18) was bowled by Mungroo, leaving the hosts in deep trouble early on.
Zubayr Hamza (45) and Mitchell van Buuren (50) however sparked hopes of a revival with a positive 91-run fourth wicket partnership, as they took their side past the 100-run mark.
But both set batters fell in quick succession, Hamza caught by Lubbe off the bowling of Seleka, and Van Buuren caught by Ngoepe off the bowling of Kleinveld, as they slipped to 138/5.
Delano Potgieter (9) fell soon after, caught by Rubin Hermann off the bowling of Lutendo Tsanwani, and at 155/6 in the 32nd over the chase was practically over.
Connor Esterhuizen, 59 off 54 (4x4; 1x6) and captain Bjorn Fortuin, 32 off 26 (2x4; 1x6) tried to stage an unlikely recovery with a quickfire 70-run stand off 57 balls, but once Fortuin fell to Seleka the last four wickets tumbled for 24 runs as they ended well short.
On the first innings the Dragons got off to a steady start as openers Rubin Hermann (47) and Janneman Malan (33) combined for a 59-run opening stand.
The spinners then stepped in to make the breakthrough as first Fortuin had Malan caught behind by wicketkeeper Makwetu, and then Nqaba Peter bowled Raynard van Tonder (4), with the Dragons slipping to 74/2 after 17 overs.
Hermann and Kleinveld steadied the ship with a 47-run third wicket partnership, but having taken their side past the hundred run mark, and just short of his fifty, Hermann was bowled by Hendricks leaving them on 121/3.
That brought Lubbe in and along with Kleinveld they set up a good platform with an 85-run partnership that took the Dragons past 200, before Kleinveld found the safe hands of Fortuin off the bowling of Codi Yusuf in the 37th over with the score 206/4.
Lubbe was however undeterred and along with his captain Ngoepe, they continued on their merry way, adding another 75 to the total.
With a century in sight and over four overs left in the innings, Lubbe skied Peter to Yusuf at deep backward square leg, leaving them on 281/5.
In the closing overs Peter trapped De Swardt (3) LBW, to finish as the pick of the bowlers with 3/73 from his 10 overs, while Ngoepe struck a few lusty blows to get his side over 300 and himself to a well played half century.
DP WORLD LIONS: Wandile Makwetu (wk), Muhammad Manack, Reeza Hendricks, Zubayr Hamza, Mitchell van Buuren, Connor Esterhuizen, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin (capt), Nqaba Peter, Codi Yusuf, Tshepo Moreki
NORTH WEST DRAGONS: Janneman Malan (wk), Matthew Kleinveldt, Raynard van Tonder, Rubin Hermann, Wihan Lubbe, Lesiba Ngoepe (capt), Ruan de Swardt, Bamanye Xenxe, Caleb Seleka, Kerwin Mungroo, Lutendo Tsanwani