The DP World Lions men’s team will welcome back pace bowler Lutho Sipamla from international duty for their CSA 4-Day Series match against World Sports Betting Western Province in Johannesburg, starting on Thursday.
Having gathered 36.68 points from their two matches so far, the Lions are in third place on the log but well-placed, just 2.70 points behind the leaders, the Renault Potchefstroom NW Dragons, who have played an extra game.
TheLions played the Dragons in their previous match, coming away from Potchefstroom with a draw due to weather interruptions and a flat pitch.
But #ThePrideOfJozi will now be back at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, where we convincingly beat the Momentum Multiply Titans in their opening game. Sipamla took 4/83 in the first innings of that match and the Bullring has been a happy hunting ground for the seamer, with 35 wickets in nine matches there, at an average of 25.25.
Although theLions were shaded by less than a point in the bonus point battle last week in Potchefstroom, coach Russell Domingo said there were a lot of positives to be drawn from the contest.
“I thought we played really well, the bowling in particular was excellent,” Domingo said, “I thought the discipline was fantastic and the energy in the field was also there. North-West have also been playing good cricket lately.”
One of the stars of both #ThePrideOfJozi’s opening games has been all-rounder Bjorn Fortuin, who has scored back-to-back centuries. Against both the Titans and North-West, the 30-year-old has come to the crease with his team in tough situations but he has made it seem as if he was batting on the beach, scoring 116 off just 95 deliveries in the win over their Gauteng neighbours, as well as taking three wickets in the second innings as the Titans were bowled out for just 156; and then he made 120 off 140 balls in Potchefstroom.
“Bjorn has been our four-day player of the season for two seasons in a row and he’s a fantastic bowler and a batsman with great ability too,” Domingo said. “He’s a really dangerous cricketer and an amazing character, feisty and tough. Technically, he’s playing very well too and I’m ecstatic for him because he’s the guy you want in your team when you are in trouble. I would want him in every team I coach,” Domingo said.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Wiaan Mulder will not be available against Western Province as he will be heading to the coast for the Proteas’ two Tests against Sri Lanka in Durban and Gqeberha.
Sipamla will no doubt pick up his overs, while young Mohammed Manack will come in to replace Mulder the batsman.
“Western Province will also be losing players like Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, Dane Paterson and Tony de Zorzi to the Test team, so they will have a few changes. But they are always a highly talented team, they gave us an amazing game in the five-day final last season and they beat us in the T20 this season. So we know it’s going to be tough against them, they have become a side that knows how to win,” Domingo said.
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