Johannesburg – 7 February 2026:
Poor weather in Gqeberha took a hundred overs out of the match and so denied our DP World Lions men’s team the chance to go to the top of the CSA 4-Day Series standings this week, as their match against the Warriors ended in a draw.
But #ThePrideOfJozi will still be rated as one of the favourites to reach the final from February 18-22. They complete the round-robin section of the tournament from Monday to Thursday as they host the bottom-of-the-log Tuskers at the DP World Wanderers Stadium.
Although they were held to a draw against the Warriors at St George’s Park, our DP World Lions will be pleased that they did win the bonus points battle against the log-leaders, 14.10 to 11.96, closing the gap to first place to less than eight points. Dominic Hendricks’ team are still third in the standings on 96.38 points, with the Dragons second on 99.06 and the Warriors hanging on to their position at the top, on 104.36 points.
The North-West team face a tricky visit to Paarl in their last fixture and the men from Eastern Province travel to Durban to take on the strong Dolphins side, who are still in contention for a place in the final, on 91.04 points.
The DP World Lions will obviously be hoping that the two teams above them on the log don’t record outright victories, so beating the winless Tuskers, who have lost four of their six games, can ensure them the chance to defend the title they shared last season with the Titans. Depending on how the Warriors go, #ThePrideOfJozi could even host that final.
The DP World Lions won the toss and elected to bat at St George’s Park and were in early trouble on 95 for six on a pitch of variable pace that offered some movement. But it was the sort of situation Bjorn Fortuin thrives in and he produced a determined and defiant unbeaten century so his team could post 305 in the first innings and put the hosts under pressure.
As has so often been the case before, it was Delano Potgieter (34) who helped him turn things around, adding 70 for the seventh wicket. But at 165 for seven, our Pride was still in trouble, so bowlers Codi Yusuf (26) and Lutho Sipamla (24) showed great resilience in coming together with Fortuin and sharing successive partnerships of 71 and 67 with the Proteas all-rounder.
Fortuin was watchful in the first half of his innings as he got used to the pace of the pitch, but the stalwart Lion unfurled some beautiful drives as he ended with 112 not out, with 10 fours and a six in four-and-a-half hours of resistance.
The impressive Sipamla then made our DP World Lions’ total look quite formidable as he took two wickets in the second over of the Warriors innings. He had the dangerous Jordan Hermann caught in the slips with his first delivery, and then knocked over the off-stump of Matthew de Villiers three balls later.
With Wiaan Mulder’s disciplined seam bowling keeping the pressure on the batsmen, and having Modiri Litheko caught in the slips, the Warriors struggled to 44 for three at lunch on the second day.
Sipamla returned after the break to bowl Sinethemba Qeshile with a delivery that jagged back to hit off-stump as the batsman shouldered arms, and the challenge just grows even harder when high quality spin bowling then comes into the picture. Fortuin ended the resistance of JP King (54) with the perfect delivery that pitched leg and hit the top of middle stump, deceived Patrick Kruger (45) with changes of line and pace, and then had Duanne Olivier (33) sharply taken at short-cover by Hendricks.
Fortuin finished with brilliant figures of 20-10-22-3, and Sipamla wrapped up the tail to claim five for 53 in 17 overs, a well-deserved seventh five-wicket haul for the 27-year-old who was born in Port Elizabeth, as the Warriors were bowled out for just 198.
That gave our DP World Lions a first-innings lead of 107, and that had grown to 221 as they scored 114 for four on a third day that was restricted to just 40-and-a-half overs by rain.
Opener Josh Richards made the Warriors work hard with the ball with his fluent 52 off 77 balls, and Mulder and Potgieter scored briskly on the final morning to set up a declaration on 219 for five.
Mulder stroked 89 not out off just 108 balls, elegant driving being the standout feature of his nine fours and a six, while Potgieter continued his great form with the bat with 32 not out off 37 deliveries.
That meant the Warriors needed 327 for victory, a mound of runs on a pitch that was still providing movement. Fortuin was starting to weave his magic again with two wickets as the Warriors battled to 114 for three at tea. But our DP World Lions certainly had reason to moan that only three overs were able to be bowled after the break, leaving them to settle for a draw.
Both coach Russell Domingo and captain Hendricks were delighted with the bowling effort in particular.
“It wasn’t ideal ending the game like that and the weather did play a massive role in the final outcome. But I was really impressed by how we bowled. We were super-disciplined and executed our skills really well with the ball. To go at 2.5 runs per over for the entire game is just testament to that,” Hendricks said. “Bjorn was also really good for us as he always is, in particular with the bat. To come in at 95 for six and score a hundred like that under pressure and propel us to a score of over 300 was great.”
Domingo is happy that the same squad will be available for the crunch game against the strugglers from KZN Inland.
“The weather has hurt us in the last two games, which is not ideal. But we have a big game against the Tuskers ahead and the same squad available. I’m really pleased with the way we got straight back into things after the SA20. It was a solid all-round performance against the Warriors: we caught well, bowled well and had a solid second innings with the bat, which set the game up beautifully. Wiaan’s innings was fabulous.
“The way we bowled in the first innings was brilliant, Lutho in particular, was fantastic. We were really disciplined and focused with the ball. We were under pressure with the bat in the first innings, but Bjorn was once again fantastic with the bat,” Domingo said.