Comfortable win for Lions over Warriors
● The Warriors were blinded by the light emitted by the galaxy of stars the Lions threw into their opening T20 Challenge clash at Kingsmead yesterday.
The Lions chalked up a four-wicket win with Rassie van der Dussen (64 off 41) and Kagiso Rabada (3/23) showing their class.
It was always going to be a tall order for the Warriors against a Lions team studded with internationals. They could even afford to leave Wiaan Mulder out.
Van der Dussen strode to the crease with the Lions in a spot of bother on 19/2 in the third over but he batted with composure to take his team to within reach of the 158 target.
He batted in concert with Temba Bavuma (41 off 35) but both fell to shots that gave the Warriors some hope.
When they got together however the match was potentially in the balance in the Lions powerplay when an all-star cast of Proteas protagonists Anrich Nortje and Glenton Stuurman engaged in a brief battle of wills against the decorated batsmen.
The Lions pair won that round bringing up their 50 stand off 36 balls and particularly profited from the Warriors’ habit of dropping it short.
The one bowler who troubled them was left-arm wrist spinner Lizo Makhosi. He applied a deft hand at a tricky art, hitting his length from the get-go and forcing the Lions heavyweights to tread lightly.
Makhosi plays with pluck and looks a real prospect. In the end he got Bavuma when he was on the end of a catch off Aya Gqamane.
The Warriors won the toss and opted to bat under clear skies but were bowled out for 157, one ball inside their full allotment.
Though Sisanda Magala took four wickets, it was
Rabada who set the tone. He was a cut above, bowling with control and menace to put the Warriors on the back foot.
Magala got the wickets but he sprayed it and went for 37 in three overs and five balls. He delivered a mixed bag. In the fourth over the rotund seamer served up a distinctly mediocre opening burst, but significantly his last delivery dislodged Warriors danger man Jon-Jon Smuts.
Soon Lesiba Ngoepe fell to a lamentable shot. While Smuts can be deemed unlucky, Ngoepe’s sin was he tried to clip Rabada’s first ball through midwicket. The ball looped into the covers where the catch was taken.
Rabada then cleaned up Gihan Cloete and suddenly the Warriors had concerns at 36/3.
Wiaan Lubbe arrived at the crease with a healthy strike rate of 139 and the hope of resurrecting the Warriors’ innings, but was struck on the side of the head second ball by Rabada. It looked a nasty blow and he had the mandatory concussion test.
He dusted himself off, delivered some lusty blows and looked to be on course to a meaningful contribution before Rabada was back in the action with a smart catch at backward square leg off slow left-armer Bjorn Fortuin.