Warriors hold off Dragons in high-scoring thriller

In a high-scoring encounter filled with explosive batting performances, the Dafabet Warriors edged out the Dragons by 21 runs in a thrilling contest at the Dafabet St George’s Park.

Opting to bat first, the Warriors posted a formidable total of 221/5, powered by half-centuries from JP King (61) and Sinethemba Qeshile (53). Patrick Kruger added a handy 34, with valuable contributions throughout the batting order.

In response, Janneman Malan’s brilliant unbeaten 111 kept the Dragons in the hunt, as he and Lesiba Ngoepe (41) shared an 89-run partnership. However, despite their best efforts, the Dragons finished on 200/3, falling just 21 runs short.

Earlier, the DP World Lions claimed a convincing six-wicket win over Goldrush Boland in Paarl.

Boland, after opting to bat, were restricted to a modest 129/7, with Gavin Kaplan’s unbeaten 53 being the standout performance.

Grant Roelofsen chipped in with 27 runs but the total proved insufficient against a disciplined Lions bowling attack led by Junaid Dawood’s 3/21.

Reeza Hendricks anchored the Lions' successful chase with an unbeaten 72, well supported by Zubayr Hamza’s 37. The Lions reached the target with 132/4, sealing the win with two balls to spare.

In Division 2 T20 Knockout action, ACDC Express Tuskers triumphed by a single run in a nail-biting finish against log leaders Eastern Storm, while Northern Cape Heat cruised to a dominant 80-run victory over Limpopo Impalas, securing their place in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Mpumalanga Rhinos beat Eastern Cape Iinyathi by six wickets in White River.

UPCOMING T20 CHALLENGE MATCHES

Sunday @ 2pm: Momentum Multiply Titans v Knights - Supersport Park, Centurion

Sunday @ 2pm: Hollywoodbets Dolphins v World Sports Betting Western Province - Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban

UPCOMING T20 KNOCKOUT MATCHES

Semi-final 1: Wednesday: Eastern Storm v Northern Cape Heat

Semi-final 2: Thursday: ACDC Express Tuskers v Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers