The North West Dragons’ gutsy showing under pressure helped them secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the CSA Provincial T20 competition in Bloemfontein last weekend (8–10 October).
The Dragons needed to win their final two matches of pool C against SA u.19 and Eastern Storm. They managed to do so by the slightest of margins to secure a quarter-final spot against Boland Rocks in Kimberley on 20 October.
The Dragons opened their campaign with a disappointing eight- wicket loss against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins. They then proceeded to beat an inexperienced SA u.19 side by 43 runs before leaving it at the death to beat Eastern Storm by one run in the final Pool C match.
Injuries ravaged the team in the build-up to the tournament with both Nicky van den Bergh and Delano Potgieter, among other key players, missing out.
Duan Jansen also missed the first two matches but was fit for the final match against Eastern Storm. His performance with the ball (3/27) in four overs was a key factor in the narrow win.
“It’s great to be home in North West and take a couple of wickets in my first game back. I am happy that I could put in a performance to place my team in a position to win the game. I think it’s good to play in such a close match, as it shows we can keep our nerve and make good decisions in tight situations,” said Jansen.
The young left-arm pacer added that he had to plan each ball carefully in such a pressure situation. “It’s important to have a clear plan before you bowl and back your skills to execute it.”
NW Dragons head coach, Monty Jacobs, also lamented the lack of depth in the middle order due to injuries, which also hampered the balance of the team.
“Numerous injuries in key departments, made it difficult, as some players are better suited to the longer format of the game. The biggest challenge was to win the match against Eastern Storm to progress (to the quarter-final) and we did that. I told the players they just needed to win; it did not matter how,” explained Jacobs.
Earlier in the match against Eastern Storm, Wesley Marshall’s 74 and Senuran Muthusamy’s 63, not out, guided NW to a total of 158/7.
The experienced pacer, Eldred Hawken (1/21) in four overs kept Easterns at bay with the young Caleb Seleka (1/10) also chipping in with a wicket.
The Dragons utilised eight bowlers during the innings and threw everything at Easterns in a tense game. Shaylen Pillay, with bat and ball, was a trump card for the NW Dragons during the three matches.
The part-time bowler got the crucial wicket off a dangerous Matthew Arnold of Easterns, just as he looked to take the game away from North West.
“I told Senuran Muthusamy he needed to trust his gut with the bowling changes and this time, it worked out for us. The spinners were taking a couple of hits and the change helped to swing the momentum. It was quite a weird game with them almost hitting 18 off the final over,” expressed Jacobs.
The Dragons’ focus will now be squarely on Boland Rocks, which is the other new addition to the top tier in SA’s domestic cricket. The chances are good that the regular captain, Nicky van den Bergh, will return to the lineup, which will be a big boost, hitting into the do or die encounter.
Boland Rocks boasts numerous match-winners in the Malan brothers (Pieter and Janneman), Christiaan Jonker and Clyde Fortuin. Bowlers like Ziyaad Abrahams and Imraan Manack have also been in good form. If the pool stages are anything to go by, the NW Dragons stand as good a chance to put in three solid performances to lift the trophy. It’s now about going on that consistent streak of victories.
