Johannesburg – 23 May 2025:

It was a breathtaking night of celebration for the Pride’s cricketing community; a night celebrating all those who steadfastly and wholeheartedly walk with the Pride in pursuit of domestic dominance inside and outside the boundaries. The pipeline-focused evening acknowledged, displayed and rewarded all from far and wide, from the bottom up.

The nearly 500 guests were warmly welcomed by an energetic orchestra whilst walking the red carpet, guests were dazzled with a hive of activity; including the McCafe, the presence of the main act and ever-popular pop group Mafikizolo, camera crews from far and wide; food, drinks and laughter; not to mention the admiration of the fabulous and fashionable evening gowns and attire.

Like an actress owning the night at the Oscars, Raisibe Ntozakhe dazzled at the 2025 Lions Cricket Awards on Thursday night as the champion bowler ascended the stage for three coveted awards, including the prestigious DP World Lions Ladies Player of the Season honour.

Off-spinner Ntozakhe spearheaded the DP World Lions’ Ladies triumphant finish to the 50 over tournament, topping the averages with 16 wickets at an average of just 12.61. Her five for 11 to bowl the Dolphins out for just 61 at the DP World Wanderers Stadium was the pivotal moment in the campaign as the victory enabled #ThePrideOfJozi to go to the top of the standings and then seal the title in the next round.

The 28-year-old was named the HollywoodBets Pro50 Bowler of the Season, an award she also won for the T20 competition, where she was the DP World Lions’ leading wicket-taker with nine in total. Ntozakhe’s haul of wickets in the one-day competition was second only to her captain Kgomotso Rapoo, who claimed 18 wickets at 18.77 and was rewarded with the ACDC Express Players’ Player of the Season and the McDonald’s Fans’ Player of the Season awards, having also taken seven wickets in the T20 Series.

Sunette Viljoen-Louw (362 runs at 45.25) and Tazmin Brits (219 runs at 43.80, SR 152.08) were the batters of the season for 50-over and T20 cricket respectively, while Karabo Meso and Rapoo claimed the fielding awards.

Fellow bowler Codi Yusuf was as dominant for the men’s team, walking away with four awards, including the DP World Lions Player of the Season and McDonald’s Fans’ Player of the Season titles.

Yusuf, whose 23 wickets at an average of just 22.39 in the CSA 4-Day Series was the joint-most with Lutho Sipamla for the DP World Lions as they shared that title. He also took the most wickets in the One-Day Cup (8) and has become coach Russell Domingo’s go-to bowler for breakthroughs with the ball, being named the Bowler of the Season for both the four-day and the 50-over competitions.

Sipamla’s four for 12 in the T20 Challenge final against the Titans was the sort of trophy-winning performance films are made of and the ever-reliable paceman was named the Bowler of the Season for the shortest format.

Connor Esterhuizen also revealed his great talent in the 2024/25 season, winning the Batter of the Season awards for both the One-Day Cup (276 runs at 55.20) and the T20 Challenge (199 runs at 33.16).

In the triumphant four-day campaign, Zubayr Hamza was able to include five half-centuries and a century in the final in his tally of 528 runs, and he was named the Batter of the Season for that competition.

Bjorn Fortuin also shone in the CSA 4-Day Series with bat and ball, and he remained a key bowler for the DP World Lions in the limited-overs formats, the all-rounder being honoured with the prestigious ACDC Express Players’ Player of the Season award.

Evan Jones was named Fielder of the Season for the T20 tournament for his safe catching and strong throws from the boundary, while Delano Potgieter (4-day) and Hamza (ODC) won the other men’s fielding awards.

Kwena Maphaka was the spearhead of the successful DP World Lions attack in the T20 Challenge, and was bowling bullets whenever he turned out for #ThePrideOfJozi, the teenager being named Sedgars Sport Newcomer of the Season.

All-rounder Fay Cowling was exploding on to the scene in the ladies team with her power-hitting and testing pace bowling at the same time, and the 17-year-old was named Sedgars Sport Newcomer of the Season for the women’s side.

Nonkululeko Thabethe scored over 400 runs across the two formats and her strike-rate was close to a hundred in the T20 competition, earning her the Afripure Most Improved Player of the Season title, while Muhammad Manack won the equivalent award, sponsored by Masana, for the men’s team.

As always, our Blind cricketing stars shone on the night with Sivuyise Gwayi receiving the award for batter of the season and Lwande Bhidla, the recognition as bowler of the season. Samkelo Rampopo was acknowledged as the Most Improved Player of the Season and the coveted Fidelity Player of the Season went to the deserving Buhle Bhidla.

Our Deaf Cricketing heroes were also celebrated with Gareth Harries winning Batter of the Season. Bowler of the Season honours went to Sivesh Poonsamy-Muthoo who completed a hat trick by also winning the Fielder of the Season and the Fidelity Player of the Season.

The club structures are as strong as ever with players and teams from the Enza Premier League; Black Widow T20 League; Presidents League; Macrocomm T20 Knockout Cup and the Lions Veterans League all being rightly acknowledged at the Awards. In the Lions Youth Cricket Awards section, the future looks bright ranging from the Telkom Player of the Season; to the Kanu Equipment Rural Player of the Season; and topping it all off with the various McDonald’s awards including the Overall Progressive School of the Season as well as the McDonald’s School of Excellence of the Season. The Telkom Lions Academy Player of the season was awarded to Tiaan Brits.

Worth noting too, was the coveted Telkom Club of the Season: The nominees for this prestigious club award was Puntans Hill CC, Randburg CC and GM Old Edwardians CC with the award going to GM Old Edwardians CC.

The Starlight Soiree-themed event enjoyed another dazzling moment when Kirstie Thomson, who retired at the end of the season having played 143 matches for the DP World Lions, scoring over 4000 runs and taking 100 wickets, was honoured for her enormous contribution to the Union with the Presidential Award.

Lions Cricket CEO Jono Leaf-Wright concludes;

“We’ve had an unbelievable year – scoring so much more than we even set out to! That just shows the power of DREAMING BIG. I am genuinely grateful to the people of this Pride and all who support it – what an admirable effort – and trust me when I say that we have even BIGGER and BETTER planned for the upcoming season, both inside and outside the boundary ropes.”