23 Feb ALL EYES ON TOMORROW’S GAMES FOR THE LAST SEMI-FINAL SPOT
Tuesday, 22 February 2022
GQEBERHA: The North West Dragons and Momentum Multiply Titans’ face-off was the first match of the day, and the Pretoria-based side won the game by 33 runs.
With Titans having already secured their spot in the semi-final, the Dragons’ chances to go through became slimmer as they now depend on tomorrow’s results to go their way for both games.
After being put to the bat first, Titans’ opener, Quinton de Kock smashed 34 off 17 balls (6 boundaries and 1 six) before a Heino Kuhn super-catch from Eldred Hawken’s bowling got him in the 4th over.
Dragons’ spinner and birthday gent, Senuran Muthusamy, continued his spell as the most economical player in the tournament with 14 runs and 2 wickets in his 4 overs claiming the wickets of Theunis de Bruyn (25) and Sibonelo Makhanya (5).
The Dragons bowlers kept the charge as Dwaine Pretorius bowled straight to Dewald Brevis’s middle stump before he could score any runs in the 2 balls he faced. But it was not long before Brevis got his retribution, as he dismissed Pretorius for 3 runs, also claiming the wicket of Hawken (7), recording 2/33 in 4 overs.
An unbeaten 89-run partnership for the 5th wicket between Heinrich Klassen (54* off 41) and Donovan Ferreira (37* off 35 balls) saw the Titans end their innings on 167/4.
With such a high target, the Dragons batters had a lot of work ahead of them as hopes lied with openers Wesley Marshall and Heino Kuhn to get some crucial runs early in the game. Marshall (6) was run out by de Kock and Shamsi trying to get a second run in before Kuhn (17) was trapped by Ayabulela Gqamane for an LBW and the Dragons found themselves on 2/42 at the end of Powerplay.
Gqamane (2/23), also dismissed Muthusamy (22), and delivered another super-catch of the day to dismiss captain, Nicky van den Bergh (9) off Aaron Phangiso’s bowling.
Lesego Senokwane’s 31 (3 boundaries and 1 six), provided some much-needed runs in the Dragons’ innings, followed by Nono Pongolo (22*), and Johannes Diseko (14*) to see the Dragons end on 134/7, just enough runs to deny the Titans a bonus point victory.
In the second encounter of the day, the ITEC Knights won the toss and chose to bat first over Gbets Rocks and set the target on 165 runs.
Ziyaad Abrahams (5/34 in 4 overs), with a bowler of the match performance delivered a tournament fiver after claiming some much needed wickets in today’s game as the Knights ended their innings on 164/6.
Abrahams struck first, dismissing Jacques Snyman for 23, interrupting a gearing 43-run partnership between him and Christoffel Klijnhans.
The Knights found another solid partnership with a 75 – run stand between Klijnhans and Raynard van Tonder (38), with the latter caught by J. Malan off Shaun von Berg.
Abrahams’ spell continued as he claimed three wickets in the 18th over, dismissing Klijnhans for 52 (6 boundaries and 1 six), Pite van Biljon (12), and Mangaliso Mosehle (1) before dismissing Gerald Coetzee (10) in the last ball of the innings.
The rocks responded well, with Captain, Pieter Malan, providing an unbeaten 60 off 51 (6 boundaries and 1 six), anchoring the innings with solid partnerships throughout the game. He formed three solid partnerships in the innings, a 44-run stand with brother, Janneman Malan (33), 79-runs with Clyde Fortuin (46) and an unbeaten 39 with Christiaan Jonker (17*), as Rocks ended their innings on 161/2, falling short by just 3 runs.
Gregory Mahlokwana (1/24) dismissed Janneman Malan after Powerplay, and Patrick Kruger (1/9), bowled Clyde Fortuin for 46 (4 boundaries and 1 six).
Even though the Rocks had wickets in hand, the Knights kept the run rate in check as the men from Paarl still had less than a 100 on the board in the 13th over.
Gerald Coetzee and Alfred Mothoa held their nerves defending 17 runs in the last two overs, limiting the Rocks to 161/2 at the end of their innings.
The last round of the CSA T20 Challenge concludes tomorrow with much anticipated fixtures:
10h00: Six Gun Grill Western Province vs Hollywoodbets Dolphins
14h30: GBets Warriors vs North West Dragons
Watch all the games live on SuperSport and follow ball-by-ball action on the CSA App.
Tickets are available at Ticketpros: www.ticketpros.co.za
ENDS
Issued by: Cricket South Africa – Corporate Communications