The Dafabet Warriors were made to pay for a stuttering start with the bat as the North West Dragons walked away with a seven-wicket victory in their opening YesPlay Pro20 Cup fixture at SuperSport Park on Friday.
On a double-header opening day of the competition, the North West side, who won the toss and sent the Warriors in to bat, restricted them to 128/6 in their innings before finishing the chase on 131/3 with 27 balls remaining.
The Warriors were in trouble almost immediately, slipping to 0/2 after three balls before reaching 18/3 in the fourth over after losing Muhammad Manack and Sibonelo Makhanya for ducks, while Warriors skipper Matthew de Villiers departed for 10 after being bowled by Daryn Dupavillon.
Jordan Hermann and JP King then steadied the innings, but the Gqeberha side struggled to build any sustained momentum against a disciplined Dragons attack.
Hermann made 20 off 19 balls before becoming the fourth wicket at 43, while King top-scored with 30 off 29.
When King departed at 66/5 in the 12th over, the Warriors were still well short of a competitive total.
Patrick Kruger provided some late resistance with an unbeaten 38 off 43 balls, while Thomas Kaber added 11 not out from 11 deliveries, but the Warriors finished on 128/6 from their 20 overs.
Wihan Lubbe was the pick of the Dragons’ attack, claiming 3/9 from four overs, with Onke Nyaku, Caleb Seleka and Dupavillon also among the wickets.
The Dragons’ response was more assured, even after the loss of Lubbe for nine to Beuran Hendricks and Schuld for 33 to Kaber inside the first seven overs.
Dragons skipper Rubin Hermann produced an aggressive 55 off just 31 balls not out, striking five fours and three sixes as he took the game away from the Warriors.
Kaber briefly gave the Warriors hope by removing Hermann’s partner Diego Rosier for four, leaving the Dragons 75/3, but Hermann and Lesiba Ngoepe calmly completed the chase.
Ngoepe finished unbeaten on 23 off 26 balls, with the Dragons reaching 131/3 in the 16th over.
Kaber recorded 2/15 from his three overs, but their inability to recover from the early batting collapse ultimately left them with too little to defend.
In the evening game, Western Province Cobras posted 186/4, with Joshua van Heerden leading the way with a blistering 64 off 37 balls, supported by Eddie Moore’s 62 off 48 and Valentine Kitime’s 34 off 23.
The Cobras reached 171/1 before a late flurry of wickets saw van Heerden, Moore and Mihlali Mpongwana (7) fall in the final three overs.
Dayyaan Galiem took 2/38, while Eathan Bosch and Junior Dala claimed the other wickets.
In reply, the Titans stormed to a five-wicket win after reaching 190/5 in 14.5 overs, powered by a stunning 77 off 28 balls from Leus du Plooy, striking eight sixes and five fours, alongside 59 off 25 from Sinethemba Qeshile (8x4, 3x6), while Bosch added a rapid 22 off 10 late on.
Raeeq Daniels was the standout bowler for the Cobras with 3/27, while Tsepo Moreki took 2/52.
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