Boland Rocks paceman, Achille Cloete, proved to be the NW Dragons’ Achilles heel tonight (Friday, 25 March) with a terrific bowling spell that put the Dragons on the back foot in their 27 run defeat against the Rocks at the JB Marks Oval.
The NW Dragons, chasing 252 for victory were bowled out for 224 and that was largely due to Cloete (3/31) who got two wickets in the first over of this CSA One Day Cup clash.
He bowled Lesego Senokwane for a golden duck with a superb outswinger before trapping Shaylen Pillay LBW for another duck with a slower ball.
Cloete also got the wicket of Chris Britz for 1 as the Dragons slumped to 8/3. They could not recover despite the best efforts of opener, Wesley Marshall.
Marshall hit a brilliant 73 (87) almost single handedly giving the Dragons a chance at victory. His wicket at the half-way stage of the innings complicated matters and the home team eventually had to submit to defeat.
Photos: Wouter Pienaar
Eldred Hawken and Duan Jansen, who earlier had bowled brilliantly, put on a 51-run partnership for the ninth wicket, but when Hardus Viljoen (3/51) bowled Jansen, it was effectively all over.
The Dragons will look back at this game as one of missed chances. The Rocks relied heavily on the batting exploits of Stiaan van Zyl (114*) and Pieter Malan (98) to take them to their score of 251/8. Both those players also presented chances that was dropped in the field earlier in their innings.
A highlight for the Dragons was the death bowling of Eldred Hawken as he picked up his best list-A bowling figures and first five-for with 6/46.
The Dragons are still at the top of the table on 15 points, but only two points ahead of the Titans, who have two games in hand. The Dragons next face the Titans this coming week on Wednesday at Supersport Park in Centurion and a win will be crucial in the battle for a spot in the final.
