Johannesburg – 11 March 2025:  

Ntozakhe’s drip-drip slow torture dominates against the Dolphins.

The drip-drip slow torture of Raisibe Ntozakhe’s off-spin was too much for the KZN Dolphins at the weekend as the former Protea led our DP World Lions Ladies team to two devastating victories over one of their biggest rivals in the Series matches in Johannesburg.

The 28-year-old Ntozakhe had an astonishing haul of nine wickets for just 33 runs in the 12 overs she bowled across the 50-over and T20 games. She was magnificent in one of the most dramatic women’s List A matches played at the DP World Wanderers, the log-leaders being bundled out for 61 as Ntozakhe took five for 11 in eight overs, three of which were maidens.

Our DP World Lions then strolled to a crucial bonus point victory by eight wickets in the 18th over, meaning they will go into the final round of fixtures on March 22 with a five-point lead at the top of the log over the Dolphins.

In Sunday’s T20 match, Ntozakhe, who played the last of her 21 ODIs and 12 T20s for South Africa in 2022, was at it again, tormenting the Dolphins with figures of four for 22 in her four overs.

With great support from the rest of the DP World Lions bowlers, most notably Refilwe Moncho (4-0-24-2) and Lehlohonolo Sardick-Meso (4-0-10-1) with the new ball, the Dolphins could only inch their way to 84 for seven in their 20 overs.

Having been sent in to bat, #ThePrideOfJozi had early struggles with the bat themselves, reaching 43 for three in the first nine overs. But a brilliant partnership between Karabo Meso and Sunette Viljoen-Louw disabled the Dolphins’ dominance as they added 83 for the fourth wicket in less than a dozen overs.

Meso showed the full array of her strokes as she scored a dazzling 56 not out off 53 balls, and Viljoen-Louw was as solid as ever in making 30 not out off 29 deliveries as the pair put aside a 24-year age-gap to take the DP World Lions to 126 for three in their 20 overs.

The DP World Lions attack then girded themselves brilliantly for the defence of that total, with captain Kgomotso Rapoo  and spinner Sarah Nettleton also producing great spells as they only conceded 17 and 11 runs respectively in their four overs.

There are no weak links in this DP World Lions bowling line-up and Proteas star Ayabonga Khaka gave nothing away up front with the new ball in the Pro50 match, taking two for 13 in seven overs to set the tone. Spinner Rapoo then wrapped up the Dolphins innings with three for 20 after Ntozakhe had demolished the middle-order.

Nonkhululeko Thabethe (25*) and Karabo Meso (23*) then steered #ThePrideOfJozi to their target.

They finish their campaign against Gauteng rivals the Titans, who have no chance of overtaking them, at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, while the Dolphins need a bonus point win against Western Province in Cape Town just to draw level with #ThePrideOfJozi.