T20 Challenge playoff race intensifies

Here we look at the two fixtures that will take place on Saturday.

Boland vs Lions

It will be third versus sixth on current standings, and the home side will have it all to do coming up against a Lions side with all the momentum on the back of a three-match winning streak.

The Joburg-based side are fresh off a 47-run win away against the Knights on Wednesday, and they are hot on the heels of their neighbours, the Titans, with only the net-run rate separating the two sides.

The Paarl-based side, on the other hand, haven’t had the best of starts, with only one victory from their opening four encounters. They will be desperate to get their season up and running against a side that inflicted a nine-wicket loss the last time they clashed in the same competition last season.

Both sides will be desperate for a win as the Lions need to keep up with the front runners with hopes of finishing top still within their reach. For Boland, their only win in the competition came in a super-over victory over Knights, and they can take confidence from that as they attempt to rescue their season.

Warriors vs Dragons

The Warriors currently occupy fourth position on the table after two wins and two losses. The Eastern Cape-based side could have had more wins than they currently have, but their inconsistency has cost them. Chasing 167 to win, the Warriors were 107-0 against the Knights and could not achieve their target, losing by 16 runs.

The Matthew Breetzke-led outfit has worked well as a unit so far, and they have had contributions from various positions with both bat and ball.

They will go into their next fixture high in confidence, though, after a convincing five-wicket victory against Western Province the last time out.

Meanwhile, the Dragons have set the early pace and look the opposite of the team they were in the last campaign. Unbeaten in four matches, the Potchefstroom-based side will make the long trip to Gqeberha looking to secure their fifth consecutive win of the season.

Wihan Lubbe has led the way with the bat and on the field as the captain, as he has cruised to 179 runs, including two half centuries. The Dragons currently occupy first position, and the difference between them and their competitors thus far has been their ability to hold their nerve and execute in tightly contested matches.

Crucial points will be up for grabs in what will be a tightly contested match in the heavy presence of Proteas players that have made their way into the competition from the conclusion of the various commitments elsewhere.