CSA T20 Challenge 2021 Match Highlights, Play-off: An all-round performance takes the Lions to the final

An exciting match took place between Warriors and Lions in the play-off match of the CSA T20 Challenge 2021 on Saturday (February 27) night at Kingsmead Cricket Ground (Durban). The Lions won by a huge margin of 7 wickets against their opponent Warriors.

Warriors captain Sinethemba Qeshile won the toss and elected to bat, sending the Lions to bowl first.

Batting first, Warriors openers JJ Smuts and Wihan Lubbe made a great start. Their opening pair came up with 71 runs in 8.3 overs. But the Warriors started losing wickets quickly due to the sudden aggression of the Lions’ bowlers. Despite losing wickets at one end of the wicket, Wihan Lubbe picked up his half-century off 34 balls at the other end. In the end, the Warriors could pick up 141 runs on the board & thanks to an inning of 37 runs from 26 balls by Tristan Stubbs. Aaron Phangiso, Wiaan Mulder, Beuran Hendricks, and Sisanda Magala each took one wicket for the Lions.

Batting for an easy target of 142, the Lions openers picked up 58 runs without losing a wicket in seven overs. The Warriors bowlers then took 2 wickets in 2 consecutive overs but could not get their team back in the match. The Lions reached the target after losing 3 wickets with five balls to spare, courtesy goes to the unbeaten innings of 48 off 37 balls by captain Temba Bavuma. Opener Reeza Hendricks played another important inning for the team. His 19-ball 32-run innings led the Lions to victory. Mthiwekhaya Nabe was the highest wicket-taker for the Warriors (2-25, 3.1 overs).

The Warriors lost the match and were knocked out of the tournament. On the other hand, the Lions won the match and advanced to the final of the CSA T20 Challenge 2021. The Lions will face another finalist, the Dolphins, in the final of the CSA T20 Challenge 2021 at Kingsmead Cricket Ground (Durban) on the night of February 28 (Sunday).

Playing XIs:

Warriors – JJ Smuts, Lesiba Ngoepe, Triston Stubbs, Ayabulela Gqamane, Wihan Lubbe, Sinethemba Qeshile (c & wk), Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje, Lizo Makosi, Jade de Klerk, Mthiwekhaya Nabe  

Lions –  Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma (c), Wiaan Mulder, Delano Potgieter, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Bjorn Fortuin, Kagiso Rabada, Beuran Hendricks, Sisanda Magala, Aaron Phangiso  

Scoreboard:

Warriors – 141/6 (20.0)

Fall of wickets: 1-71 (Smuts, 8.4 over), 2-72 (Qeshile, 9.3 over), 3-89 (Lubbe, 13.2), 4-95 (Ngoepe, 15.1 over), 5-140 (Stubbs, 19.5 over), 6-141 (Gqamane, 20 over)

Lions – 142/3 (19.1)

Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Reeza, 7.3 over), 2-61 (Ryan, 8.2 over), 3-122 (Dussen, 16.4 over)

Result – Lions won by 7 wickets

The final match of the CSA T20 Challenge 2021 will be kicked off tonight, predict the champions & play on Baji!