DP World and Western Province Claim Early Wins at T20 Season Openers

Defending champions DP World Lions and last year’s runner’s up Western Province opened their accounts for the 2023/24 CSA Women’s T20 Challenge (Division One) with respective seven-wicket victories against the Recon Tactical Free State and the Hollywoodbets Dolphins on Sunday, 1 October. 

The Lions hosted Free State at the DP World Wanderers, the Lions won the toss and chose to field. Free State’s batting performance was led by contributions from Yolandi Potgieter’s score of 32 of 25 deliveries (5 fours, 1 six) in addition to former Proteas captain, Mignon du Preez’s 29 off 18 (4 fours, 1 six).

Lions new signing and South African, fast-bowling legend Shabnim Ismail produced leading figures of two for 21 in four overs, aptly supported by Kgomotso Rapoo (2/24), to help the home side restrict Free State to 126/6 in their 20 over.

The Lions batters made it look easy at the crease as a crucial partnership for the third wicket between Sunette Viljoen-Louw scoring an unbeaten 37* off 34 deliveries (5 fours), along with Kristie Thomson’s 20-ball 33 (5 fours, 1 six) led the way for the Gauteng side before promising youngster Karabo Meso added an undefeated 29* off 17 balls (5 fours) to seal the emphatic win within 20 overs, with seven deliveries to spare. 

At the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, the first taste of T20 cricket in the inaugural CSA Professional Domestic Women’s League saw Western Province win the toss and elect to field prior to limiting the Dolphins to 102/5 which saw WP’s Nosipho Vezi (2/13) take a principal return of two for 13 in her four overs.

Opening batter for the Dolphins, Courtney Gounden ended the innings as the Dolphins’ top-scorer with an effort of 28 off 34 (3 fours). 

Although Western Province’s reply with the bat suffered early setbacks with the loss of openers Babetta de Leede (1) and Faye Tunnicliffe (5), Western Province was inspired by Proteas Women and CSA National Academy top-order batter, Andrie Steyn’s unrivalled 61* off 55 balls (7 fours, 1 six) and Kelsey Adams (29) combined brilliantly as the Western Cape outfit surpassed the Dolphins’ first innings score of 102/5 within the18th over.

CSA Professional Domestic Women’s League

Results: CSA Women’s T20 Challenge – Division One (Sunday, 1 October):

1 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Western Province beat Hollywoodbets Dolphins by 7 wickets (Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town)

1 Oct 23 (Sat): Time: 09h00: DP World Lions beat Recon Tactical Free State by 7 wickets (DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg)

Upcoming Division 1 Fixtures:

8 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers vs Fidelity Titans (Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn)
15 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Western Province vs Recon Tactical Free State (Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town)
15 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: DP World Lions vs Fidelity Titans (DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg)
22 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Hollywoodbets Dolphins vs Western Province (Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban)
22 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 10h00: Fidelity Titans vs Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers (Supersport Park, Centurion)
22 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Recon Tactical Free State vs DP World Lions (Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein)
5 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: DP World Lions vs Western Province (DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg)
5 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Fidelity Titans vs Hollywoodbets Dolphins (Supersport Park, Centurion)
12 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers vs DP World Lions (Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn)
12 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Recon Tactical Free State vs Hollywoodbets Dolphins (Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein)
19 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Western Province vs Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers (Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town)
19 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Hollywoodbets Dolphins vs Recon Tactical Free State (Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban)
19 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Fidelity Titans vs DP World Lions (Supersport Park, Centurion)
26 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Hollywoodbets Dolphins vs Fidelity Titans (Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, Durban)
26 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Recon Tactical Free State vs Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers (Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein)
3 Dec 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Fidelity Titans vs Western Province (Supersport Park, Centurion)

Upcoming Division 2 Fixtures:

8 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Boland vs Border (Boland Park, Paarl)
8 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Eastern Province vs Northern Cape (Dafabet St George’s Park, Gqeberha)
8 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: North West Dragons vs Eastern Storm (JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom)
15 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 9h30: Mpumalanga vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland (Uplands College, White River)
29 Oct 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Limpopo vs Mpumalanga (Polokwane Cricket Club, Polokwane)
5 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Border vs Eastern Province (Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium, East London)
12 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Eastern Storm vs Limpopo (Willowmoore Park Stadium, Benoni)
19 Nov 23 (Sun): Time:09h00: KwaZulu-Natal Inland vs Eastern Storm (AET Pietermaritzburg Oval, PMB)
19 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Kei vs Boland (Khaya Majola Oval, Mthatha)
26 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 9h00: KwaZulu-Natal Inland vs North West Dragons (AET Pietermaritzburg Oval, PMB)
26 Nov 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Northern Cape vs Kei (Kimberley Oval, Kimberley)
3 Dec 23 (Sun): Time: 09h00: Limpopo vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland (Polokwane Cricket Club, Polokwane)

Photo Caption: A crucial partnership for the third wicket between Sunette Viljoen-Louw and Kristie Thomson saw the Lions batters seal an emphatic win against Fidelity Titans at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, in Johannesburg, on Sunday, 1 October, 2023. Photo: Sarah Nettleton  / DP World Lions on Instagram