Johannesburg – 27 November 2025:
Our DP World Lions ladies team were in a powerful position but ran out of time before the bad weather hit Johannesburg at the weekend, having to settle for a No Result match in their Pro50 Series game against Western Province.
The probing, accurate bowling of #ThePrideOfJozi had reduced Western Province to 68 for four after 16.5 overs when lightning and then rain stopped play at the DP World Wanderers Stadium. The visitors were chasing a daunting 271 for victory, so they needed another 203 runs in less than 34 overs, at a run-rate of more than six to the over. Having lost four wickets, they were fully 65 runs behind on the DLS calculation, so if our Lions had been able to bowl just 19 more deliveries, they would have registered an easy win.
The DP World Lions total of 270 for eight, having elected to bat first, was built around a quickfire start by the top-order and then a wonderful finish by Sinalo Jafta and Sunette Viljoen-Louw.
Openers Nonkululeko Thabethe (21) and Madison Landsman put on 49 for the first wicket in just seven overs, with Landsman the aggressive partner as she tore into the bowling and lashed a thrilling 39 off just 25 balls with six fours and a six.
Thabethe and Karabo Meso then put on 50 for the second wicket, and it was the same story with Thabethe the anchor and Meso clinical in stroking a vibrant 42 off 53 deliveries.
The platform was then undermined a little by three wickets falling for 10 runs: Thabethe was caught trying to clear the inner ring, Jenna Evans was run out by a direct hit from the deep and Meso caught edging a sweep.
But from 109 for four in the 22nd over, Jafta and Viljoen-Louw steadied matters by batting positively but sensibly against the spinners, spanking anything short. By the 30th over they already had Western Province down on the mat, piling on the runs in a partnership that reached 126 for the fifth wicket.
Jafta showed great determination and plenty of skill and timing, some exceptional strokes bringing her nine fours and a six in her 68 off 72 deliveries.
Viljoen-Louw once again showed her experience and composure in a pressure situation, and her continued hunger for runs and dominance over bowlers as she scored 58 off 66 balls.
Our DP World Lions then made sure Western Province did not get away in their first 10 overs as Tumi Sekhukhune bowled a lovely away-swinger, nicely caught behind by Jafta, to remove Oluhle Siyo for six, and then claimed the big wicket of Protea Lara Goodall, well-caught by Jenna Evans for 26.
The lanky Fay Cowling then entered the attack and dismissed another Protea in Delmari Tucker (7) and then took the massive scalp of the prolific Faye Tunnicliffe, freshly recalled to the Proteas squad, for 10. Both were trapped lbw as Cowling targeted the stumps relentlessly with deliveries swinging back into the right-handers.
Western Province were still busy trying to break the shackles imposed by our DP World Lions attack when the thunderstorm saved them.
Unfortunately, the following day, our batters could not break free from the Western Province attack in their Pro20 Series match, managing to post just 81 for seven, which the visitors chased down in 13.2 overs for the loss of only two wickets.