The Lions will hope that Reeza Hendricks can find his touch against the unbeaten Warriors after getting a duck against the Tuskers at the weekend. Photo: BackpagePix
BY OBAKENG MELETSE
It will be first versus second when the unbeaten Warriors visit the Lions at the Wanderers in tomorrow’s Cricket SA T20 Challenge clash.
Although second, the Lions have had close encounters that could have gone either way, and will need to bring their A-game to stop the Warriors.
The Eastern Cape outfit make the long trip to Johannesburg following a comfortable 24-run win over the North West Dragons at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday.
The victory saw them move to 27 points.
The Lions limped to 90-5 in their 15 overs after there was a delayed start due to rain on Saturday against the KZN Tuskers at the Wanderers.
The Tuskers chased down the total and won with 20 balls to spare, and with that, they secured their first victory of the campaign at the expense of one of the favourites.
The Lions are still second despite their defeat, and are currently on 17 points. They will be looking to get back to winning ways, with games coming thick and fast.
Keith Dudgeon’s name will be one they will quickly want to forget after he ripped through their experienced batting top order to leave the Joburg side reeling on 3-4 inside three overs.
The loss against the Tuskers underlines the Lions’ inconsistency this campaign, with neither their bowlers or batters among the top five so far.
They have done well to scrap for victories, but as things get tight, they will need their top players to stand up.
We have witnessed some pulsating cricket in the past week 😅🔥
— CSA Domestic Leagues (@DomesticCSA) March 25, 2024
Here are the current Div 1️⃣ & 2️⃣ log standings ⤵️#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #CSAT20Challenge #CSATKO pic.twitter.com/peNKSZ0x4K
The Warriors are a confident side who know how to win, and they have found a good balance between setting a score and chasing. They have won four matches defending totals and two chasing.
Siya Simetu (12), Patrick Kruger (nine) and Beyers Swanepoel (eight) have taken 29 wickets between them, and have played a huge role in the Warriors being able to defend totals and restricting the opposition to chaseable totals.
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