Northerns gain unlikely three-wicket win against North West Dragons

An unlikely 92-run partnership for the 8th wicket between Northerns batsmen, Lerato Kgoatle and Eldred Hawken     secured a 3 wicket win against the North West Dragons in a CSA provincial one-day match at Senwes Park on Sunday, 12 February.

This was a match that North West should have won when they had Northerns teetering at 170/7 still needing 91 runs for victory. But Kgoatle, with 51 and Hawken, with 39 had other plans as they crashed the home side’s winning party. This leaves North West without a win in three one-day matches. The Dragons made a decent 260 all out, however, after winning the toss and batting first on a pitch that offered the bowlers a lot of zip and bounce early on.

The Dragons were in early trouble at 45/3, but Marques Ackerman (50) and Richardt Frenz (76) combined for a 114 run partnership to settle the nerves. Frenz top-scored with a typically elegant innings with Kagiso Rapulana adding a valiant 56.

The lower order did not fire, though, and the Dragons could not capitalise in the final few overs. This ultimately cost the men from North West as Northerns claimed the victory with 16 balls to     spare.  Bantu Dandala was the Dragons’ best bowler with 2/34. André Malan also chipped in with 1/53 while Johannes   Diseko claimed figures of 1/49 in the spin department.

North West must have fancied their chances when Northerns captain, Thomas Kaber was run out for 0 without even facing a ball as sharp work from  Lesego Senokwane had him inches short of his crease at the non-striker’s end. Northerns kept in the game, however, with contributions from all their batsmen in the middle order before     lower order heroics took them to victory.

• The CSA 3-Day Cup match between North West and Northerns ended in a draw as both sides’ batsmen had a field day at Senwes Park last weekend (from 9-11 February). Wihan Lubbe hit a brilliant 104 in the first innings for the Dragons and André Malan added an unbeaten 100 from 88 balls in the      second innings.