Senwes Park’s tall, bright floodlights will greet the bizhub Highveld Lions and Warriors for a crucial Ram Slam T20 clash this Friday, 8 December.
Potential semi-final places are up for grabs in what promises to be a cricketing battle of the ages that cannot be missed.
In this fast-paced T20 format, one moment of brilliance can turn a match on its head and both teams will look for inspiration from their star players to pick up an important victory.

Both the Lions and Warriors can ill-afford to go down in defeat with only two matches to go before the semi-finals take place. Only two points separate the teams and, as it stands, the run-rate could also play a defining role in determining a home semi-final spot.

The Lions have also had bad luck with rainy weather over the past week as their matches against the table-topping Titans and the Knights both ended with no results.

The Lions have had a truly topsy-turvy season, winning two matches, losing three and two ending with no results. The Warriors, too, have experienced a rocky campaign with two wins and 5 defeats.
Their narrow one-run win against the Dolphins in Port Elizabeth this past Sunday may just be the match to spark a fire – something that the Lions will need to douse with roaring cricket this Friday.

The key players for the Lions in the batting department will surely be Reeza Hendricks, who is the top run scorer in the competition with 319 runs at an average of 106.33.

Hendricks has upped his game this season and his form from the opening spot has laid the charge for his side. His opening partner, Rassie van der Dussen has also performed with 165 runs coming off his GM bat.

The Senwes Park pitch will most certainly be a batting paradise that the Warriors will also aim to exploit. Christiaan Jonker is the visitor’s main dangerman with the bat as his 208 runs at a strike rate of 150 is nothing to scoff at. The forgotten man of SA cricket, Colin Ingram, is another player who can turn a match with his bat into the Warriors’ favour.

On the bowling front, Kagiso Rabada with 8 wickets and Aaron Phangiso with 6 wickets this season, are far and away the Lions’ biggest threats with the ball. Phangiso, especially, will play a role with his spin at Senwes Park, where the slower bowlers always seem to excel.

The same can be said of the Warriors’ left-arm spinner, Jon-Jon Smuts who could be a trump card with his uncanny wicket-taking abilities.
The Lions should be the favourites to take the win, given their favourable win record at Potchefstroom but you never know in T20 cricket.
The match starts at 18:00.