Daryn Dupavillon’s career-best 5-20 on Sunday helped the KZN Dolphins secure a home semi-final in the T20 Challenge.
The Dolphins beat the EP Warriors by seven wickets in Gqeberha, with the hosts suffering their fourth straight loss.
There was also a big win for the Northerns Titans over Western Province at Newlands in a match that was essentially a quarter-final. The Titans triumphed by six wickets thanks mainly to pace bowlers Junior Dala (3-13) and Corbin Bosch (3-21).
The Central Gauteng Lions secured top spot on the T20 Challenge log with a seven-wicket win over the KZN Inland Tuskers at the Wanderers as Nqaba Peter (3-15) continued his incredible rise in 2024.
Sunday’s final game was won by the North West Dragons, who beat the Boland Rocks by six wickets in Paarl.
The semi-finals will see the table-toping Lions host the fourth-placed Titans in Joburg, with the third-placed Warriors travelling to the second-placed Dolphins in Durban.
The star of the day was Dupavillon as he delivered a vintage performance to blow away the Warriors, who had won their first eight matches of the season before losing their way.
The paceman’s performance, after his captain won the toss and bowled, helped the Dolphins restrict their hosts at St George’s Park to 130-8, despite Jordan Hermann hitting 65 off 53 balls (four fours, two sixes).
Former Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts (43*) and Jason Smith (41*) then shared a 75-run unbroken fourth-wicket stand to take the Dolphins to victory with 16 balls to spare.
Warriors vs Dolphins scorecard
In Cape Town, Dala and Bosch restricted WP to a modest 113-9 after they won the toss and batted.
SA U19 batsman Lhuan-dre Pretorius led the Titans’ reply with 52 off 32 balls (three fours, four sixes) ensuring the defending champions claimed the final qualifying spot with nearly seven overs to spare.
The Lions were also easy winners thanks to Nqaba’s three-for that kept the Tuskers down to 132-9 at the Wanderers.
Zubayr Hamza (49) and Rassie van der Dussen (51* off 35 balls; two fours, three sixes) scored most of the runs in the chase, and the Lions won with 15 balls to spare.
In Paarl, Boland batted first and managed 143-5. Clyde Fortuin scored 51 off 32 balls (four fours, four sixes), while Caleb Seleka (2-21) was the pick of the Dragons’ bowlers.
Rubin Hermann (48) and Meeka-Eel Prince (37) set up the chase with a 67-run opening stand, before Wihan Lubbe (20) and Raynard van Tonder (34*) completed the job with a ball to spare.
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
