De Villiers and brilliant fielding lead Warriors’ victory march; DU PLOOY AND BOSCH LEAD DOLPHINS TO WIN

An outstanding 61 in 43 balls from skipper Matthew de Villiers and some brilliant fielding led the Dafabet Warriors to a bonus-point six-wicket victory over WSB Western Province in their CSA T20 Challenge match at St George’s Park on Friday night.

Earlier, excellent fielding and catching and disciplined bowling had helped the Warriors to restrict Western Province to 134 for nine after the visitors had won the toss and chosen to bat first.

Although Warriors’ opener Modiri Litheko went cheaply, De Villiers and Muhammed Manack played with clinical precision to add an impressive 91 off 60 balls for the second wicket. Both men were dropped in their respective innings, signalling one of the great divides between the teams, but both played supremely well.

De Villiers struck his second half-century in as many matches, driving, pulling and cutting with power and authority, while Manack, after a quiet start, blossomed in the latter part of his innings, striking seven fours and six, before he was caught in the deep.

By that stage, victory was assured and the bonus point almost so. Although De Villiers (7x4s, 1x6) was bowled by legspinner Josh Breed, JP King saw the Warriors home for their bonus point in 15.3 overs, with three balls to spare.

With most teams winning at St George’s after batting first, it made sense for Western Province to do the same. But their problems began in the third over when the out of form Edward Moore edged his drive off paceman Kerwin Mungroo low and well wide of wicketkeeper Jean du Plessis who somehow managed to clutch the ball with his left glove with a full-length dive.

It was a sign of things to come after some aggressive hitting by Valentine Kitime when Muhammad Manack pounced at cover in the fourth over to throw down the only stump available to him to run out Joshua van Heerden for a duck.

Kitime played some brave cricket to race to 27 off 16 balls when his pull to midwicket was held up in the strong easterly wind for Aphiwe Mnyanda to take a good catch.

That meant three wickets in the power play but Western Province didn’t heed the warning, preferring to progress at full throttle when a more measured approach was called for. There was a hint of recovery when Oliver Whitehead and Daniel Smith added 32 at a run a ball for the fourth wicket before Whitehead fell in a similar fashion to Kitime, lofting his pull to midwicket off Wesley Bedja for Patrick Kruger to take a comfortable catch. Bedja struck again in the 10th over, inducing an edge off Smith’s loose drive to the keeper.

Half the side was now out for 65 and worse was to follow as Josh Breed struck a full toss from left-arm wristspinner Thomas Kaber straight to Bedja at long-on. There was a brief reversal of the constant pressure from the Warriors when Juan James and Raeeq Daniels added 40 in 29 balls for the seventh wicket before James was caught on the midwicket boundary off Mungroo for a brisk cameo of 32 in 21 balls.

The dismissal that symbolised the home team’s brilliant outcricket came when Daniels was caught at long-off by De Villiers. Seeing that he was about to cross the rope with the ball, he tossed the ball back into play and Kaber dived full length to complete the catch.

Asakhe Tsaka was then yorked by Bedja, for the seamer to complete his best T20 figures of 4/22, before Dane Paterson at least finished the innings on a good note, hitting the final ball for six.

Mungroo finished with 3/26 and Kaber 1/24 to complement Bedja’s effort, but the Warriors’ intense, dynamic outfielding, as well as some fine catching, was largely responsible for Western Province falling short in their innings.

DAFABET WARRIORS: Modiri Litheko, Muhammad Manack, Matthew de Villiers, JP King, Patrick Kruger, Jean du Plessis, Thomas Kabet, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Mathew Boast, Wesley Bedja, Kerwin Mungroo

WSB WESTERN PROVINCE: Edward Moore, Valentine Kitime, Daniel Smith, Joshua van Heerden, Oliver Whitehead, Juan James, Josh Breed, Asakhe Tsaka, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Dane Paterson, Raeeq Daniels

DU PLOOY AND BOSCH LEAD DOLPHINS TO WIN OVER DRAGONS

Leus du Plooy and Eathan Bosch were brilliant with bat and ball as they led the Hollywoodbets Dolphins to a comfortable 31-run win over the Eastvaal Renault Dragons in their CSA T20 Challenge contest at the JB Marks Oval on Friday night.

The win lifts the Dolphins to second place with eight points in two games. They overtake the Warriors who are now third with seven points. The Dragons, who are still winless after four games, remain in sixth-place.

The Dragons won the toss and inserted the Dolphins to bat first. Du Plooy made the best of the conditions and batted his way to his 24th T20 half-century as he led the visitors to 155/9 in 17 overs. Bosch then picked up the ball and recorded his career-best bowling figures as he helped the Dolphins bowl the Dragons out for 124 in 17 overs. The contest was reduced to 17 overs a side after a late start due to rain.

Du Plooy made a bold statement in his debut match for the Dolphins. He unfurled his full range of shots as he raced to a 31-ball 60 that featured six fours and three sixes. The left-hander faced 22 deliveries on his way to his 24th T20 half-century.

The 30-year-old arrived at the crease immediately after the powerplay, following Jon-Jon Smuts' dismissal. Smuts, the Dolphins captain, had shared a 35-run second-wicket partnership with Khaya Zondo.

Du Plooy and Zondo combined for a 95-run match-winning third-wicket stand from 47 balls. Du Plooy was the aggressor in the partnership. Zondo, who had taken it upon himself to fight fire with fire after Tshepang Dithole's dismissal in the first over, was content to turn the strike over to Du Plooy, who was in full flow. The seasoned campaigner scored 43 from 33 deliveries (5x4, 1x6).

Du Plooy and Zondo's partnership was the difference between the two sides. The Dragons went onto the back foot after losing three wickets in the powerplay and never recovered. They lost wickets at regular intervals and their best partnership was worth 45 runs.

The Dolphins unleashed Anrich Nortje, Eathan Bosch and Tristan Luus in the powerplay and the pace trio did not disappoint. They combined to reduce the Dragons to 39/3 after 5.1 overs. Bosch took two of the early wickets, while Luus claimed the other one.

The Dragons fought back with a brisk 45-run fifth-wicket partnership between Lesiba Ngoepe and Diego Rosier off 24 balls. Most of the runs in that stand came off Ngoepe's bat. The 32-year-old smashed 28 balls from 11 deliveries as the hosts fought their way back into the contest. However, the partnership didn't last long and was broken when Bosch was brought back into the attack.

Bosch dismissed Rosier with the second delivery of his second spell, and the wicket was the first of a five-wicket collapse for 12 runs in 19 balls. Bosch dismissed Rosier and Forrester in consecutive balls before Nortje accounted for Ngoepe and Onke Nyaku in three balls in the next over.

Eathan Bosch was the Dolphins' best bowler with four wickets for 27 runs in three overs. Anrich Nortje showed that he was still a world-class seamer with three wickets for 18 runs in four overs. Tristan Luus wrapped up the wickets with another three for 20 runs in four overs.

DRAGONS: Ludwich Schuld, Meeka-eel Prince (wk), Janneman Malan, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Diego Rosier, Dian Forrester, Lesiba Ngoepe, Achille Cloete, Onke Nyaku, Caleb Seleka, Alfred Mothoa.

DOLPHINS: Khaya Zondo, Tshepang Dithole, Jon-Jon Smuts (capt), Leus du Plooy, Gomolemo Phiri (wk), Andile Simelane, Eathan Bosch, Romashan Pillay, Nqobani Mokoena, Tristan Luus, Anrich Nortje.