The Dragons have lost their third CSA 4-day series match in a row after going down by 130 runs against the Warriors at the J.B. Marks Oval this past weekend.
The Warriors won the match due to a stunning second innings batting display on the third day which saw them post 364/2.
Matthew Breetzke (152 off 265) and Rudi Second (103 off 122) laid the foundation of that innings with the Dragons bowlers having no answers. The Dragons failed in their chase as they were bowled out for 218 on the final day. Wesley Marshall’s second half-century of the innings (65 off 74) and captain Nicky van den Bergh ‘s second fifty in his 100th first class match (64 off 117) could not save the Dragons from defeat.
The Warriors’ bowlers Mthiwekhaya Nabe (3/28) and Lizo Makosi (3/33) secured the win for the away side. The Dragons will be disappointed having taken a first innings lead after posting 350 all out in reply to the Warriors 334 all out in the first innings.
Here, Marshall top scored with 94, whilst Van den Bergh also made a handy 64* (94). Delano Potgieter also made an accomplished 74 (188). The Dragons will now need to quickly shift their focus to the next 4 Day series home fixture against the Dolphins from 25-28 November at the J.B. Marks Oval.
The Dragons are in desperate need of log points and a confidence boosting win after three big defeats on the trot. Not all the Dragons players have come to the party yet this season as a combined unit.
The Dragons have not yet put their foot on the accelerator this season or had any team in real trouble in the longer format.
An outstanding bowling or batting performance will need to occur for momentum to shift against a strong Dolphins side.
The Dragons will now need to quickly shift their focus to the next 4 Day series home fixture against the Dolphins from 25-28 November at the J.B. Marks Oval.
Keegan Petersen, Ruan de Swardt, Prenelan Subrayen and Daryn Dupavillon are just some of the names that will look to make things difficult for the Dragons.
