Matthew de Villiers struck his second List A century to lead the Dafabet Warriors to a massive 87-run, bonus-point victory over Goldrush Boland in a One-Day Cup match at Boland Park in Paarl on Saturday.
The Warriors captain produced a spectacular display of clean, authoritative hitting as he blasted a career‑best 133 off just 77 balls, an innings decorated with 17 fours and five sixes. His dominance underpinned the Warriors’ record-breaking total of 400 for five — the highest List A score ever recorded at Boland Park — after winning the toss and choosing to bat.
The new benchmark surpassed the previous best of 357 for six, also set by the Warriors against Boland during the 2021-22 season.
De Villiers’ knock transformed the complexion of the innings. Although the platform was laid through an excellent 126-run opening stand between Modiri Litheko and Muhammed Manack, it was the skipper’s acceleration that propelled the visitors into unprecedented territory.
Manack contributed a well-crafted 57 off 61 balls, striking nine boundaries before Akhona Mnyaka (9-0-78-1) found his outside edge, with Clyde Reeves-Fortuin completing the catch behind the stumps.
With Litheko on 66 when his captain joined him, the pair added 158 for the second wicket, of which De Villiers dominated with 101 runs.
LITHEKO'S MAIDEN CENTURY
Litheko, making full use of an early reprieve when Yves Kamanzi spilt a catch at fine leg on 13, went on to bring up his maiden List A century. His composed 117 off 115 balls included nine fours and four sixes and provided the stability required for the Warriors to launch in the latter overs.
Litheko eventually departed when he picked out Mnyaka at point off the bowling of Ferisco Adams (9-0-77-1), but De Villiers continued to dismantle the Boland attack with ruthless efficiency. His dismissal came via a slower delivery from Keith Dudgeon (10-1-87-3) in his 50th List A match — a miscued shot to Imran Manack at short third man, but by then, the damage was long done.
The carnage continued through a pair of blistering cameos. Patrick Kruger hammered 36 from 25 balls, combining with De Villiers for 51 off 36 before adding a further 48 from just 26 balls in partnership with Jean du Plessis (28). Dudgeon eventually removed both batters to add a sheen of respectability to his otherwise expensive figure. Kamanzi, despite going wicketless, was Boland’s most economical bowler, conceding 60 from his 10 overs.
Chasing an enormous 401 for victory, Boland began cautiously through Blayde Capell and Grant Roelofsen. Roelofsen (11) struggled to find fluency, managing just a single boundary before advancing down the track and being stumped by Du Plessis off the bowling of debutant Jean Upman (6-0-41-1).
Capell, meanwhile, steadily grew into his innings. Once joined by Gavin Kaplan, the two rebuilt intelligently, adding 130 for the second wicket off 122 balls. Capell’s 94 off 89 deliveries featured six fours and five sixes, but nerves began to surface as he approached his century. Kaplan, who lived a charmed life after being dropped twice — first by Thomas Kaber and later by Manack — continued to keep Boland in the hunt with a fluent 88 off 83 balls.
The Warriors, however, tightened their grip after Gideon Peters (9-0-61-3) removed Capell with a well‑directed delivery that found Senuran Muthusamy at mid‑wicket. Reeves‑Fortuin attempted to maintain momentum with a brisk 31 from 21 balls before falling to a clever slower ball from Kerwin Mungroo (9-058-3). From there, the innings unravelled.
Jhedli van Briesies (2), Ethan Cunningham (2), Adams (13), and Dudgeon (2) all fell cheaply as Warriors’ bowlers applied sustained pressure. Kaplan eventually chipped a return catch to Muthusamy, while Manack provided late entertainment with a lively 36 off 21 balls before being bowled by Mungroo.
With Boland nine down and still far behind the rate, Kaber (7.5-0-52-1) returned to the attack and sealed the match when Yves Kamanzi (9) picked out Jean Upman at deep mid‑wicket. Boland were bowled out for 313 with 31 deliveries left unused.
The emphatic victory solidifies the Warriors’ position atop the One-Day Cup standings, increasing their tally to 19 points from five matches — six clear of the DP World Lions. Boland, meanwhile, risk sliding down to fifth place depending on the outcome of the Dolphins v Dragons clash in Durban.
A formidable batting performance, led by De Villiers’ brilliance and Litheko’s maturity, ensured the Warriors not only claimed the points but also stamped their authority on the competition with another record-setting display.
GOLDRUSH BOLAND – Grant Roelofsen, Blayde Capell, Gavin Kaplin, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin (capt, wk), Jhedli van Briesies, Ferisco Adams, Ethan Cunningham, Imraan Manack, Keith Dudgeon, Yves Kamanzi, Akhona Mnyaka.
DAFABET WARRIORS – Muhammed Manack, Modiri Litheko, Matthew de Villiers (capt), Jean du Plessis (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Sinethemba Qeshile, Patrick Kruger, Jean Upman, Thomas Kaber, Kerwin Mungroo, Gideon Peters.