Lions hurt Dragons’ final hopes

The DP World Lions beat the North West Dragons by 75 runs at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Friday to put a dent in the home team’s hopes of qualifying for the final of the CSA One-Day Cup.

The Dragons, third on the log but five points behind the second-placed Dafabet Warriors, will now have to beat the Warriors with a bonus point in Gqeberha on Sunday to qualify to play log winners Western Province Blitz at Newlands in the final.

Chasing 305 for victory, the Dragons maintained a faster run-rate for most of their innings, but the price they paid was the regular clatter of wickets and they were dismissed for 229 in 43.2 overs.

A number of batsmen got starts but only Raynard van Tonder (57 in 64 balls) reached a half-century. His third-wicket partnership of 65 off 78 balls with his captain, Wihan Lubbe (32), looked promising, but when Evan Jones bowled the left-hander the home team’s chances of victory visibly diminished.

Openers Lesago Senokwane and Meeka-eel Prince began the chase flamboyantly, but Prince played one shot too many to be caught by Wiaan Mulder at midwicket and Senokwane was then brilliantly run out by Zubayr Hamza at mid-on immediately afterwards.

Mulder was the outstanding bowler for the Lions, claiming 3/29 off eight overs, comprising the important scalps of Van Tonder, Senuran Muthusamy and Lesiba Ngoepe with the latter two being caught behind. Bjorn Fortuin also claimed three wickets, cleaning up the Dragons’ tail.

Ruan de Swardt (39) and Duan Jansen played some attractive strokes at the death, but the door was effectively closed to the Dragons by then.

Earlier, player of the match Mitchell van Buuren struck an unbeaten 87 in 66 balls (11x4s, 1x6) to power the DP World Lions to 304 for seven after the Dragons had won the toss and inserted their opponents.

Despite a solid start from their openers, it looked as though the Lions would finish well short of 300, but Van Buuren helped the visitors to crack 74 off the last five overs with some clever hitting, including some subtle laps and reverse-sweeps as the Dragons’ bowlers lost their discipline.

In an innings that went through a number of gear changes, the Lions began solidly with Josh Richards and Ryan Rickelton compiling a stress-free opening stand of 107 in 125 balls. Both men played a succession of handsome drives and looked completely at ease in their partnership. It was something of a shock when Richards played an in-to-out cover drive straight to Lubbe in the covers when he had reached 51 in the 21st over.

The bowler, left-arm spinner Muthusamy, then combined with legspinner Caleb Seleka to not only slow the momentum of the innings, but also to claim three wickets in eight balls as Rickelton perished in the deep off Seleka while Mulder played on first ball. And when Dominic Hendricks was trapped leg before by Migael Pretorius, the Lions had slumped to 137 for four in the 28th over.

Hamza and Van Buuren batted patiently to rebuild the innings, adding 72 for the fifth wicket, before Hamza offered a return catch to Seleka to provide the leggie with his third wicket.

The acceleration really began in earnest when big-hitting Evan Jones joined Van Buuren, slamming 28 in 18 balls. After his dismissal, Van Buuren continued on his merry way through to the end of the innings.

For the Dragons, Muthusamy (1/44 in 10) and Seleka (3/58 in 10) were the most impressive, but the other bowlers were on the receiving end of some severe punishment in the closing overs.

North West Dragons: Lesego Senokwane, Meeka-eel Prince (wk), Raynard van Tonder, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Senuran Muthusamy, Lesiba Ngoepe, Ruan de Swardt, Migael Pretorius, Duan Jansen, Caleb Seleka, Kerwin Mungroo

DP World Lions: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Josh Richards, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Zubayr Hamza, Mitchell van Buuren, Wiaan Mulder, Evan Jones, Bjorn Fortuin, Malusi Siboto, Nquaba Peter, Tshepo Moreki