Johannesburg – 23 February 2026
As much as painting themselves into corners early in CSA 4-Day Series finals bemuses our DP World Lions men’s captain Dominic Hendricks, he could not be prouder of the way his team responds, showing once again in this season’s triumph over the Warriors that they are the comeback kings.
Despite winning the toss and electing to bowl first, the DP World Lions started poorly with the ball, allowing the Eastern Province team to race to 179 for one. Although the bowlers, led by three wickets apiece from Wiaan Mulder and Delano Potgieter, worked their way through the middle-order, a 55-run ninth wicket stand still allowed the visitors to post 305 in their first innings, a good effort after being forced to bat first.
The second day was the Lions’ batsmen’s turn to be under pressure as they collapsed to 102 for five. Mulder and Potgieter again stepped to the fore with half-centuries, but our backs were still against the wall when we started the third day on 193 for seven, still 112 behind on first innings. But what an amazing third day it was, one of the most glorious in the history of #ThePrideOfJozi, as they changed the whole momentum of the game and completed victory all on the same day. Potgieter, with stout support from Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Beyers Swanepoel and Siya Plaatjie, scored a great 88 not out as our DP World Lions got to within 10 runs of the Warriors’ total. Swanepoel (7.4-0-26-4) was on the mark with the new ball as he removed both Warriors openers in the first eight overs, and Yusuf then came roaring in with a magnificent display of fast bowling that netted him five for 34 and saw the visitors collapse in dramatic fashion to just 95 all out in 29.4 overs.
That left #ThePrideOfJozi with just 106 needed for victory and a blazing 69 not out from Zubayr Hamza rushed them there in only 17 overs, allowing them to put their name on the trophy for the third season in succession at the DP World Wanderers Stadium.
“At the close of the first day, I actually asked the team why we have to play so badly at the start of finals. But we woke up on the third day once we realised we had to play. It absolutely brings the best out of this team when our backs are against the wall,” Hendricks said after lifting the trophy. “The Warriors bowled really well in our first innings, they outskilled us, and we just had to hang in there lower down the order. To get as close as 10 runs was a phenomenal effort by Delano and the tail. But the guys at the bottom of the order take great pride in their batting and really value their wickets.
“We said that if we could somehow bat through to lunch on the third day we would still be in the game. We try to take teams to their breaking point and then sometimes you just need one good session to finish the job. The third innings is often the most important one because you can flip the game on its head and Codi and Beyers did that. “There was an energy and an intensity I’ve only seen a couple of times. I haven’t played Test cricket but it felt like Test cricket to me and Allan Donald said it did too. We got on a run, we were really hot, whoever I threw the ball to.
“We pride ourselves on finding a way to win whenever we are in a bad situation. We have that belief because we have done it before on so many occasions, being completely out of the game and then flipping it on its head. The guys just don’t give up, maybe because we train so hard,” Hendricks said. While Yusuf was named man of the match for his devastating burst with the ball as well as a vital contribution with the bat, Potgieter continues to show he is a top-class all-rounder, with the priceless ability to perform in the clutch moments. Hendricks said the 29-year-old is now a lethal cricketer.
“In the past couple of years he has learnt his own game and his reading of the game and the situation is a real strength. He does what the game asks of him and today there was no pressure to score and he just wore them down. But when the opportunity opens up, he is not shy to score, he’s got a great power game too. We’re just really grateful to have him at number seven; he could easily bat five or six for another team,” Hendricks said.