Johannesburg – 4 March 2025
Our DP World Lions ladies team have rapidly closed the gap on the KZN Dolphins in the Pro50 Series with a thrilling win over the Garden Route Badgers and they will also be delighted to have won their T20 match against the South-Western Districts side in Oudtshoorn at the weekend.
With #ThePrideOfJozi registering a two-wicket victory over the Badgers in their 50-over match and the previously-unbeaten Dolphins slipping to their second consecutive defeat, our DP World Lions have joined them on 29 points at the top of the log. Saturday’s match between the two teams at the DP World Wanderers will now be a humdinger that could well decide the destination of the title.
The Dolphins lost at home to Western Province, losing by 106 runs. Our DP World Lions beat Western Province by 62 runs in their previous match, so the momentum is definitely with #ThePrideOfJozi.
The Garden Route Badgers had won the toss and elected to bat on Saturday, but the DP World Lions made a quick strike as fast bowler Ayabonga Khaka trapped Proteas wicketkeeper/batter Mieke de Ridder lbw for just two with a vicious inswinger.
Spinner Raisibe Ntozakhe then continued her brilliant form with two for 21 in 10 overs, reducing SWD to 63 for three midway through their innings. Her partner in spinning excellence, captain Kgomotso Rapoo, will also be pleased with her return of one for 30 in 10 overs.
That the Badgers were eventually able to post 231 for six in their 50 overs was thanks to ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year Annerie Dercksen’s quickfire century.
At one stage in their chase, the Pride were 47 for three, but we all know there is a tremendous spirit at the DP World Wanderers Stadium and that shone through as our Lions fought back with successive partnerships of 71 and 54.
Sinalo Jafta, batting superbly at the moment, changed the momentum with her attacking 45 off just 38 balls. At the other end was opener Nonkhululeko Thabethe, the ever-reliable anchor of the DP World Lions batting, and she then partnered Sunette Viljoen-Louw (24) as they put the visitors into a position of strength, needing 50 runs off 14 overs with six wickets in hand.
Viljoen and Thabethe, for a wonderfully determined 77, both fell to an aggressive burst from Dercksen and, with three wickets falling on 204, suddenly our DP World Lions were eight down and still needing 28 runs. But #ThePrideOfJozi still had two heroines to come in experienced Proteas Ntozakhe and Khaka and they played as if they had the least concern about the precarious situation.
Ntozakhe lofted Dercksen over extra cover for four to lift the siege and then collected two other boundaries to finish on 12 not out, while Khaka put the fielders under pressure, drawing mistakes, and then clobbered the winning boundary straight down the ground to end on 13 not out.
In Sunday’s T20 encounter, the DP World Lions, having won the toss and sent SWD in to bat, produced one of their best bowling performances of the season to restrict the Badgers to just 102 for seven in their 20 overs.
Not one of the five bowlers used – Refilwe Moncho, Relebohile Mkhize, Ntozakhe, Rapoo and Sarah Nettleton – conceded more than 21 runs in their four overs.
Ntozakhe and wicketkeeper Karabo Meso combined to run out Dercksen for 12 and the spinner Nettleton took two wickets in one over to reduce the Badgers to 75 for four after 13 overs.
Superb death bowling by the DP World Lions meant SWD could only add 27 more runs in the last seven overs, with Moncho (4-0-21-1), Ntozakhe (4-0-21-1) and Rapoo (4-0-17-1) also getting wickets.
With Tazmin Brits stroking four fours in her first nine deliveries, our DP World Lions made a flying start to the chase. Brits led them to 51 for one in the powerplay, but was not able to go much further, being given out lbw in the seventh over, for a punishing 36 off 24 balls, which included plenty of hefty blows.
The unfortunate dismissal was not a problem, though, as veteran Kirstie Thomson steered #ThePrideOfJozi to victory with 22 balls and seven wickets to spare with her impressive 34 not out.
The DP World Lions are not able to claim the Pro20 title, but there is a chance, if they win their last two matches with bonus points, that they can once again finish as runners-up.