Thrilling final round of 4-Day Series means Lions face Warriors for the title

The final round of the 4-Day Series was as enthralling as it could possibly get with a number of teams in the running for a spot in the final.

However, the round ended with the DP World Lions top of the table and Dafabet Warriors second to set up an exciting final.

The round was highlighted by three exciting results with dominant victories for the Lions and the Momentum Multiply Titans and hard-fought victories for the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and Goldrush Boland.

At the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, the Lions delivered a comprehensive performance to defeat the Moothee Ram Tuskers by an innings and 270 runs.

The hosts produced one of the standout batting displays of the round, compiling 558/5 declared, with Dominic Hendricks leading the effort with a century (115). Zubayr Hamza narrowly missed out on three figures with 98, while Wiaan Mulder added a fluent 115.

The Lions’ bowlers then completed the job efficiently, restricting the Tuskers to 63 and 225 in their two innings to seal a commanding victory.

Mulder's first innings 7/6 was backed up with 5/39 in the second innings to round out a dominant individual performance.

In Durban, the Dolphins claimed a significant two-wicket win over the Warriors in a closely contested encounter.

The visitors posted 380 in their first innings, anchored by a century from Senuran Muthusamy (113) and valuable contributions from Jordan Hermann and JP King. The Dolphins responded with 237 before the Warriors declared on 237/5 in the second innings. Facing a challenging fourth-innings chase, the home side held their nerve to reach 370/8 and secure an important result.

Boland completed a memorable five-wicket victory over the Eastvaal Renault Dragons in Paarl. Centuries from Lesiba Ngoepe and Rubin Hermann were not enough to prevent Boland from successfully chasing their target, with key contributions through the middle order ensuring a controlled finish.

Gavin Kaplan made a brilliant second innings 144 not out to see Boland chase down 323 to prevent the Dragons from advancing to the final.

At WSB Newlands in Cape Town, the Titans registered a convincing nine-wicket win against WSB Western Province. After dismissing the hosts for 241, the Titans posted 306 in reply, with Rivaldo Moonsamy contributing a crucial 90 in the first innings. A disciplined batting effort then set up a straightforward chase, which the visitors completed at 164 for one.

Lesego Senokwane made 86 not out and Neil Brand contributed 65 not out as they coasted to victory.

The results concluded a competitive round of fixtures that ultimately saw the Lions finish strongly at the top end of the standings, with the Warriors finishing second which means they will travel to Johannesburg for the competition final.

Final: 18-22 February from 10am: DP World Lions v Dafabet Warriors – DP World Wanderers, Johannesburg