A run-out in final over of the match courtesy of top fielding from Heino Kuhn secured a nail-biting 2 run win for the North West Dragons against the Warriors in the opening CSA One Day Challenge match at the J.B. Marks Oval yesterday night (Friday, 2 December).

The Dragons,  who had to defend their score of 284/7 in 50 overs, had to contend with a late flurry from Warriors and Proteas batsman, Tristan Stubbs, who was left unbeaten on 81 (85), as he could just not get his side over the line.

It was a brilliant match that ebbed and flowed continuously throughout with both sides being in charge for various portions of the match.

• The Dragons pacer, Eldred Hawken (2/51) was tasked to bowl the final over needing to defend 8 runs against an in form Stubbs.
• Stubbs hit the first ball for a boundary over extra cover that put the pressure on Hawken. The next ball was a leg stump full toss that Stubbs somehow managed to miss out on. His frustration was evident as he knew that he could’ve hit the winning runs there and then.
• The third ball of the over was when the Dragons pulled a rabbit out of the hat in the field. In a desperate attempt to keep the strike, Stubbs went for the second run, but Ziyaad Abrahams could not make it to the non-strikers end in time. 

The Dragons win was built on a good first innings after being put in to bat. Opener, Lesego Senkowane stroked his way to 79 (105), Senuran Muthusamy hit 60* (50) whilst Nicky van den Bergh’s 42 (64) and Delano Potgieter’s 41 off 33 balls added substance to the innings.

The Warriors started their innings on a bright note with the talented strokemaker, Jordan Hermann, hitting 62 (68) on his list A-debut. The Warriors were in control on 96/1, but then lost their way to be on 115/5 after a superb period of play for the hosts. Muthusamy (3/45) bowled Sinethemba Qeshile for 15 and also disturbed the timber of Diego Rosier for 1. In the next over, Matthew Breetzke was run-out by Renaldo Meyer, before Potgieter bowled Hermann.

Lesiba Ngoepe (44 off 39) joined Stubbs at the crease and things started to look brighter for the Warriors, but the former then lost his wicket, caught and bowled by Wesley Marshall (1/30) to put the game back in the Dragons’ favour.

Stubbs then managed to bat around the tail-enders in some good meaningful partnerships, but in the end the Dragons managed to hold on for a winning start.

The Dragons next face the Knights this Sunday (4 December) at the J.B. Marks Oval at 10:00 with hopes of making it two from two.