Rassie van der Dussen scored 64 to guide the Lions to a four-wicket victory over the Warriors in their opening match of the CSA T20 Cup in Durban.
Van der Dussen’s innings featured three fours and four sixes, and helped the Joburg franchise ease to a victory after the Warriors set them 158 to win.
The Warriors stuttered through their innings, with no individual batsman able to kick on after they’d gotten in, and not being able to build any notable partnerships. Six of their first seven batters got into double figures yet, of those, only Sinethemba Qeshile (33) and Wihan Lubbe (22) progressed past 20.
Credit must go to the Lions’ bowlers, the majority of whom bowled economically. The Proteas duo of Bjorn Fortuin and Kagiso Rabada (3-23) bowled their four overs for 4.50 and 5.75 runs per over, respectively.
The pressure the Lions attack exerted in the early part of the innings told in the latter part thereof, and Sisanda Magala benefited, finishing with 4-37 in 3.5 overs.
The target was sub-par, and the ease with which the Lions chased was evidence of that. The Lions were in early trouble at 2-19, but Temba Bavuma got stuck in, scoring 41 off 35 deliveries. Van der Dussen accelerated after Bavuma’s dismissal, looking calm and decisive as he chipped away at the target.
Van der Dussen got out with 17 to win, sparking a clutch of wickets to fall, but ultimately they scored the winning runs with four balls to spare.
