Lions beat Cobras in Ram Slam T20 Cricket Challenge

A great bowling effort from Aaron Phangiso and Dwaine Pretorius restricted the Cape Cobras to 125 for eight in their 18 overs against the bizhub Highveld Lions in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge match at PPC Newlands in Cape Town yesterday.

Phangiso (3-0-8-2) and Pretorius (4-0-21-2) combined well to demolish the Cobras’ top and middle order after Richard Levi and Andrew Puttick gave the home side a good start with an opening stand of 54 runs in 5.3 overs.

Levi struck two boundaries and a six before being caught by Eddie Leie off the bowling of Pretorius for 22 off 16 balls. Puttick was the next man out, caught by Thami Tsolekile behind the stumps Phangiso for a 21-ball 30, which included five boundaries. The loss of the openers opened the floodgates of wickets, which included the run outs of Omphile Ramela (one) and Lesiba Ngoepe (11).

Phangiso caused havoc in his first over when he had Puttick caught behind, followed by the run out of Ramela and then two balls later trapped the Cobras’ captain, Justin Ontong, dead in front without scoring.

The Cobras slumped from 55 for one to 92 for eight before a 33-run stand off 11 balls between Kieron Pollard and Mthokozisi Shezi (seven not out) for the ninth wicket. Pollard claimed 17 runs off Leie’s third over, with the legspinner ending with figures of 3-0-23-1.

Pollard smashed two boundaries and two maximums to end unbeaten on 27 off 32 balls. Pollard was given a life when he launched Lonwabo Tsotsobe (4-0-36-0) towards Devon Conway on the long-off boundary. Conway claimed the catch and the big West Indian trudged off the field but the umpires called the batsman back as Conway had left the field without informing the authorities and then returned to claim the catch.