Johannesburg – 28 February 2025
Our DP World Lions ladies team will be travelling to Oudtshoorn this weekend looking to maintain their strong challenge for the Pro50 Series title, while scoring a bit quicker in the T20 competition will be the aim when they play the Garden Route Badgers on Saturday and Sunday.
An outstanding 62-run bonus point victory over Western Province at Newlands last weekend has put #ThePrideOfJozi just four points behind the KZN Dolphins in the Pro50 standings, with three matches to play.
The DP World Lions were sent in to bat and their middle-order once again excelled, lifting them from 88 for four midway through the innings to a solid 241 for six. Nonkhululeko Thabethe (26) and Kirstie Thomson (34) had laid a decent early platform with a 52-run second-wicket stand, but the match winning partnership came between Sinalo Jafta (46) and Sunette Viljoen-Louw, who added 86 for the fifth wicket in 17 overs.
The consistent Viljoen-Louw then cut loose in the last 10 overs, with the help of 24 not out from all-rounder Jenna Evans, back from injury. Viljoen-Louw was dismissed off the last ball of the innings for 87 off 89 balls, a classy innings that wrested the initiative away from the Western Province bowlers with 11 fours and two sixes.
Proteas pace bowler Ayabonga Khaka then once again set the tone up front, claiming the big wicket of Jemma Botha (6), caught-and-bowled in the third over, and then ensuring Western Province were not able to get away quickly as she conceded just eight runs in her first five overs.
Our DP World Lions spin-twins, Kgomotso Rapoo and Raisibe Ntozakhe then went to work grabbing control of the match as they took five for 51 in 20 overs between them, Western Province eventually being bowled out for 179 in the 45th over. Captain Rapoo’s return catch to dismiss the well-set Saarah Smith was a fielding highlight.
“It was definitely a great win. We were under a lot of pressure after losing wickets up front, but the batters really stepped up, especially Sinalo and Sunette, and then Jenna at the back end,” DP World Lions head coach Shaun Pretorius said.
“Just how the batters went about it was so pleasing. They’re really looking to bat long, there’s no short-term vision. They obviously set themselves a target and they worked very hard to get there. Sinalo was very good, bringing her experience and just the way she engages with those around her, while Sunette’s innings was one for the Lions’ books; she has become a really crucial part of our engine.
“And then everyone played their part with the ball. It was really key to make a good start in the field and
push up the required run-rate, which Aya did. And then it was really good to see how the spinners bowled,” Pretorius said.
The coach used the statistic of the 23 wides the Lions bowled, however, to highlight the importance of focusing on the controllables when they take on the Badgers from South-Western Districts this weekend.
“With a no-ball as well, that was four extra overs we bowled. So we need to be more clinical. It’s about our focus and not expecting things to come easily, we have to work for what we want.
“Against the Badgers, we can’t be eyeing things like the title which are outside of our reach at the moment. Our total focus needs to be on the next hurdle in front of us, and that’s SWD. We need to control what we can and take care of our processes,” Pretorius said.
Western Province then used their chances better in the T20 clash, chasing down their target of 135 with two balls and six wickets to spare. The DP World Lions reached their total of 134 for five thanks to the major contributions of Tazmin Brits (56 off 48) and Karabo Meso (33 off 35).
With Refilwe Moncho (4-0-21-1) bowling especially well, #ThePrideOfJozi were very much in the contest, but failed to grab all of their opportunities.
“We need to be more alert in the field. We had our chances in that T20 against Western Province, but we blew them and that was the difference between winning and losing. I also want us to put more urgency into our powerplay batting, be a bit more expressive and aggressive,” Pretorius said.
Madison Landsman, used as an opener in the T20 side, unfortunately injured her ankle at Newlands and is being rested for the trip to Oudtshoorn as a precautionary measure. All-rounder Fay Cowling, who was unavailable last weekend due to school commitments, returns though and will be a fantastic replacement.