A four-wicket haul by DP World Lions all-rounder Wiaan Mulder was the catalyst for his team claiming a bonus-point 43-run victory over the Dafabet Warriors in their CSA T20 Challenge clash in Gqeberha on Wednesday evening.
Mulder struck crucial blows to finish with figures of 4/14 while Evan Jones said 2/17 to restrict the Warriors to 108 in pursuit of 153 for victory.
The bonus point win sees the Lions go one point ahead of the Warriors after 11 matches, with all to play for in the final two games of the group stage.
After the Lions set 152 for nine, the hosts lost two wickets in three deliveries as skipper Matthew Breetzke (16) and Andile Mokgakane (6) were sent packing to leave the Warriors on 23/2 after 3.3 overs.
Two more wickets fell before the end of the power play with Jiveshan Pillay trapped leg before wicket by Mulder for seven and Jones dismissing Sinethemba Qeshile (4) caught by Nqaba Peter leaving the Warriors reeling on 32/4.
Wickets continued to tumble for the hosts as Jordan Hermann (6) was out caught and bowled by Mulder while Patrick Kruger fell to the leg spin of Junaid Dawood as it became 40 for six after eight overs.
The team total moved past 50 in the 10th over, still 102 runs in arrears with 60 balls remaining.
Beyers Swanepoel and Liam Alder shared 36 runs for the seventh wicket, but when Jones dismissed Swanepoel for 22 and Alder fell to Mulder for 19, the writing was on the wall for the home side.
Siya Simetu (8) and Nealan van Heerden (14) added 27 runs, taking the Warriors past 100 but both soon perished to close out the innings.
Earlier, Rickelton struck a patient half-century off 38 balls, sharing 58 runs with Reeza Hendricks at the top of the order to propel his side past 50 after the first six overs.
Hendricks fell just after the power play for 31, caught by wicketkeeper Qeshile for 31 off 23, including two fours and a six.
Rassie van der Dussen scored a run-a-ball 17, while Temba Bavuma managed just a single, as the duo were removed by Van Heerden and Alfred Mothoa respectively.
Rickelton reached his half-century with a single, but could only add two more runs to the milestone before he fell to Mothoa.
Van Heerden then grabbed three wickets in his final two overs, dismissing Mitchell van Buuren (8) and Mulder (7) in the 17th over, before claiming his fourth in the form of Fortuin (7).
Swanepoel removed Jones, who stood on his wicket, for 12 before Nqaba Peter was run out for a duck.
Van Heerden finished with 4/23 from four overs, while Mothoa, Simetu and Swanepoel returned figures of 2/26, 1/29 and 1/35 respectively.
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Mulder's four wickets help Lions maul Warriors
Sports reporter
Image: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
A four-wicket haul by DP World Lions all-rounder Wiaan Mulder was the catalyst for his team claiming a bonus-point 43-run victory over the Dafabet Warriors in their CSA T20 Challenge clash in Gqeberha on Wednesday evening.
Mulder struck crucial blows to finish with figures of 4/14 while Evan Jones said 2/17 to restrict the Warriors to 108 in pursuit of 153 for victory.
The bonus point win sees the Lions go one point ahead of the Warriors after 11 matches, with all to play for in the final two games of the group stage.
After the Lions set 152 for nine, the hosts lost two wickets in three deliveries as skipper Matthew Breetzke (16) and Andile Mokgakane (6) were sent packing to leave the Warriors on 23/2 after 3.3 overs.
Two more wickets fell before the end of the power play with Jiveshan Pillay trapped leg before wicket by Mulder for seven and Jones dismissing Sinethemba Qeshile (4) caught by Nqaba Peter leaving the Warriors reeling on 32/4.
Wickets continued to tumble for the hosts as Jordan Hermann (6) was out caught and bowled by Mulder while Patrick Kruger fell to the leg spin of Junaid Dawood as it became 40 for six after eight overs.
The team total moved past 50 in the 10th over, still 102 runs in arrears with 60 balls remaining.
Beyers Swanepoel and Liam Alder shared 36 runs for the seventh wicket, but when Jones dismissed Swanepoel for 22 and Alder fell to Mulder for 19, the writing was on the wall for the home side.
Siya Simetu (8) and Nealan van Heerden (14) added 27 runs, taking the Warriors past 100 but both soon perished to close out the innings.
Earlier, Rickelton struck a patient half-century off 38 balls, sharing 58 runs with Reeza Hendricks at the top of the order to propel his side past 50 after the first six overs.
Hendricks fell just after the power play for 31, caught by wicketkeeper Qeshile for 31 off 23, including two fours and a six.
Rassie van der Dussen scored a run-a-ball 17, while Temba Bavuma managed just a single, as the duo were removed by Van Heerden and Alfred Mothoa respectively.
Rickelton reached his half-century with a single, but could only add two more runs to the milestone before he fell to Mothoa.
Van Heerden then grabbed three wickets in his final two overs, dismissing Mitchell van Buuren (8) and Mulder (7) in the 17th over, before claiming his fourth in the form of Fortuin (7).
Swanepoel removed Jones, who stood on his wicket, for 12 before Nqaba Peter was run out for a duck.
Van Heerden finished with 4/23 from four overs, while Mothoa, Simetu and Swanepoel returned figures of 2/26, 1/29 and 1/35 respectively.
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