Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks put on a show with the bat while Lutho Sipamla and Nqaba Peter had fun with the ball as the DP World Lions secured a mammoth 132-run bonus-point victory over the World Sports Betting Western Province in a CSA T20 Challenge match at World Sports Betting Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday evening.
Hendricks and Rickelton put on a 151-run stand for the first wicket as the Lions posted 213 for two after being sent in to bat first by Province skipper, Kyle Verreynne.
In reply, Sipamla (3-1-14-3) decimated the WP top-order while Peter (2.3-1-7-4) wrapped up the tail as the home side were bundled out for just 81 in 14.3 overs.
🦁 DP World Lions win and make it back-to-back victories on the road
— DP World Lions (@LionsCricketSA) April 3, 2024
A polished performance with bat and ball sees us beat Province by 132 runs. 🏏#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #LionsCricket #ThePrideOfJozi pic.twitter.com/2LgYO7Y822
The Lions’ opening stand came from just 88 deliveries as Hendricks and Rickelton put the Province bowlers to the sword.
The 50-run stand came from 35 deliveries before accelerating to 100 from just 63 balls.
Rickelton struck five boundaries and four maximums from 46 balls before being the first man out, caught at third-man by Wayne Parnell from the bowling of George Linde (4-0-34-1), one of the few bowlers to come out of the fire rather unscathed.
However, the loss of Rickelton’s wicket, at the end of the 14th over, did not deter the visitors as Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen (29 not out) continued to push the score onwards and upwards.
Hendricks was sublime as he struck five fours and six maximums from 49 deliveries, eventually holing out to Juan James on the long-off fence from the bowling of Beuran Hendricks (4-0-38-1).
Van der Dussen himself struck three sixes from his 18 balls as he and Hendricks added 34 runs from 26 balls for the second wicket.
Delano Potgieter (14 not out) was elevated up the order and struck two fours in the seven balls he faced, sharing in an unbeaten stand of 28 from only 11 deliveries with Van der Dussen.
Spinner Kyle Simmonds bowled well without success, conceding 34 runs in his four overs while Parnell was clobbered for 58 runs in his four overs.
Mthiwekhaya Nabe had a dreadful evening, going for 32 runs in his two overs with James bowling the other two overs, conceding just 15 runs with his right-arm offspin.
🔁 Innings Break | #CSAT20Challenge
— DP World Lions (@LionsCricketSA) April 3, 2024
🦁 A roaring batting performance from our Lions, courtesy of a 151 run opening partnership.
Lions post 213/2 👊
Reeza 90
Ryan 73
Time to bring the heat in the field boys! 🏏#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #LionsCricket #ThePrideOfJozi pic.twitter.com/JYAEEeiqbn
SPIN MAGIC
The chase was going to be a mammoth task and needed something special, but the magic came from the Lions bowlers as Sipamla accounted for Jonathan Bird (2), Parnell (8) and Valentine Kitime (10).
Former Province bowler, Tshepo Moreki (2-0-14-1) dismissed Eddie Moore (7) to leave the hosts in deep trouble at 38 for four at the end of the power play.
Evan Jones (2-0-6-1) and Bjorn Fortuin (4-0-30-1) trundled through the middle-overs, with Jones having Linde (10) caught on the deep square-leg fence while Fortuin castled James for just a single.
Then came the magic from leg-spinner Peter, clean-bowling Simmonds (3) in his first over, which was a wicket-maiden.
Peter then had Verreynne caught on the deep mid-wicket fence by Wiaan Mulder before cleaning up the match, having Onke Nyaku (5) caught at short fine-leg by Moreki and then with his very next ball, clean-bowling Nabe for a golden duck, leaving the leg-spinner with a chance at a split-match hat-trick.
The victory keeps the Lions in second place on the log, but moving five points clear of WP, while closing the gap to the Dafabet Warriors to nine points, although the Warriors have a game in hand.
The Lions next face the Hollywoodbets Dolphins on Friday while the home side will be looking to change their fortunes as they face their neighbours, the Gbets Rocks at Newlands on Sunday, looking to overturn their fortunes after having won just once in six matches.
WORLD SPORTS BETTING WESTERN PROVINCE: Eddie Moore, Jonothan Bird, Kyle Verreynne (capt, wk), Valentine Kitime, George Linde, Onke Nyaku, Juan James, Wayne Parnell, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks, Mthiwekhaya Nabe.
DP WORLD LIONS: Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Zubayr Hamza, Wiaan Mulder, Evan Jones, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin (capt), Lutho Sipamla, Tshepo Moreki, Nqaba Peter.