Cape Town — The Warriors kept their slim hopes of progressing to the CSA T20 Challenge playoffs alive with a bonus point victory over the Lions on Saturday.
It has been a frustrating tournament for the hosts thus far, but their under-performing bowling unit finally produced a worthy performance.
The Lions were restricted to 142/6 with only Proteas opener Reeza Hendricks striking any form of rhythm. Hendricks hit 61 off 41 balls to keep his team's innings together after the Warriors spinners Tsepo Ndwandwa (2/12) and Lizo Makhosi (2/26) spun a web around the Lions' middle-order.
But with the home crowd and the boisterous St George's Park band fully behind their team, the Warriors went full tilt in chasing down the target within 16 overs to claim the bonus point.
The charge was led by Wihan Lubbe at the top of the order with a 30-ball 46 that got the Warriors moving.
And even though the tournament's leading run-scorer Tristan Stubbs (11) suffered a rare failure to the disappointment of the crowd that had come in to see the local sensation, it was the turn of Lesiba Ngoepe to entertain.
Ngoepe blitzed an undefeated 38 off 24 balls with a crucial strike for six in the 16th over taking to the Warriors to the verge of victory before captain Sinethemba Qeshile brought the house down with a lap over fine leg to set off the celebrations.
IOL Sport