Senwes Park has always been the happy hunting ground of the bizhub Highveld Lions but last week it turned into a victorious fortress when the Lions won the CSA 4-day franchise title in the penultimate over of the season against the Warriors.

In one of the closest finishes in SA domestic first-class history, the bizhub Highveld Lions managed to take the final Warriors’ wicket last Thursday (31 January) with only nine balls to spare for an 84-run trophy-clinching win.
North West’s home-grown hero, Wihan Lubbe, stepped up and bowled Sithembile Langa to put his team into jubilant delirium.

At the same time, the Cape Cobras also had an opportunity to win the title against the Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg but, when that match ended in a draw, the Lions knew they had a sniff. The Cobras had been table toppers for most of the season but the Lions finished the strongest with four wins in a row at the back end of the season.

The Highveld Lions wicketkeeper and leading run scorer of the season, the Potchefstroomer, Nicky van den Bergh, was elated after the win and acknowledged his team’s brilliant performance on a vital final day at Senwes Park.

‘It is fantastic to be part of the team and take the win – it is one of the most difficult tournaments to win. You can’t just sneak into a semi-final and play two good playoff rounds. You have to play 40 days of good cricket throughout the season.
The last four games we won was significant as we have won seven of our ten games.’

The Lions managed to exert pressure on the Warriors throughout the match by stepping up during difficult periods.

‘We didn’t win the toss and it was difficult to bat on a greenish pitch. Delano Potgieter and Bjorn Fortuin (301-run partnership) were brilliant and got us back into the game. I think we bowled really well, too, even though the Warriors did not give anything away in their innings.

To take the final wickets with nine balls remaining in the tournament was an unbelievable effort,’ he added.
One of the best aspects of the season was the performance of the North West-based players for the Lions with Kagiso ‘Jonty’ Rapulana and Wihan Lubbe putting in some fantastic displays. Rapulana, for instance, helped his side to the win with an unbeaten (114*) in the second innings.
Van den Bergh also lauded the team effort and commended the players who contributed, even though the Lions had seven regular starters out on Proteas duty.
‘The young guys like Wihan and Jonty stepped up, scoring two hundreds each. It was fantastic to see,’ added Van den Bergh.

The hundred hero, Rapulana, was still in disbelief after a frantic and eventful day and looked back at his innings with immense joy.
‘It hasn’t sunk in yet, it’s overwhelming but a dream come true to win the title, representing the Lions and scoring a hundred for the team.’

Leading run scorers:
Nicky van den Bergh: 691 runs
Stephen Cook: 672 runs
Kagiso Rapulana: 422 runs
Leading wicket takers:
Beuran Hendricks: 32 wickets
Malusi Siboto: 26 wickets
Bjorn Fortuin: 23 wickets.

Photos: North West Cricket (Facebook) – Gallo Images