The DP World Lions Ladies attack consists of four spin bowlers who have all produced outstanding displays for the team. On Sunday it was Sarah Nettleton’s chance to shine as she produced the best ever figures for the Central Gauteng side in T20 cricket.
Nettleton claimed incredible figures of 5/11 in her four overs as #ThePrideOfJozi skittled the Fidelity Titans for just 101 at SuperSport Park, on their way to a bonus point win by nine wickets with 71 balls to spare in their Hollywoodbets Pro20 derby.
New Lions recruit Tazmin Brits tore into the Titans bowling to plunder a dazzling 55 not out off just 22 balls, with five fours and four sixes, as she raced the Pride to victory in the ninth over.
But it was the 21-year-old Nettleton who stole the spotlight, as she broke the record for best T20 figures for the Lions, improving on the 5/12 Yumna Plowker took against Knights in 2012/13.
Off-spinner Nettleton’s changes of pace and subtle variations in length, combined with her accuracy, proved too much for the Titans batters, as the home side went from 30 without loss to 79/7, with fellow spinners Kgomotso Rapoo (4-0-22-1) and Raisibe Ntozakhe (2-0-13-1) each contributing a wicket as well.
The new-ball bowlers, Refilwe Moncho (3.3-0-15-2) and Relebohile Mkhize (4-0-18-1) then returned to wrap up the innings.
Nonkhululeko Thabethe (22 off 18) and Kirstie Thomson (22* off 10) then helped Brits put the Titans bowlers to the sword.
The Lions’ other spinner, Jenna Evans, took a couple of wickets the previous day in the Hollywoodbets Pro50 match, helping to bowl out the Titans for 231 in the 48th over after the hosts had elected to bat first.
The leg-spin of Rapoo was even more effective, as the captain took 3/40 in 10 excellent overs and a fifth spinner, Madison Landsman, took 2/33 in seven overs. Mkhize took two for 35 in 8.5 overs of tidy left-arm seam.
The Lions made a great start to their run-chase, openers Thabethe (35) and Brits, who scored a run-a-ball 40, putting on 83 in the first 17 overs.
The wicket of Brits, caught at long-off off the bowling of her Proteas teammate Sune Luus, was obviously a key blow, the Lions then slipping to 88/3 but the experienced duo of Thomson (15) and Sunette Viljoen-Louw added 43 for the fourth wicket to put the Pride back on track.
But Thomson was then stumped charging a spinner, Rapoo was run out and the Lions lost three wickets for 10 runs as Evans was bowled by a delivery that ripped back into her and kept low.
The Lions obviously still had hope while Viljoen-Louw was still there and she stuck it out until the 43rd over, scoring a determined 46. But the veteran batter fell to a miraculous one-handed catch leaping on the cow-corner boundary and the Lions then slid to 175 all out and defeat by 56 runs as they suffered their first loss of the 50-over competition.
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