Kruger, Swanepoel bowl Warriors to bonus point victory over Rocks

Four wickets by Beyers Swanepoel and three by Patrick Kruger helped the Dafabet Warriors claim a comfortable 32-run bonus point victory via the DLS method over the Gbets Rocks in their Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge clash at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Sunday. 

Swanepoel returned figures of four wickets for 16 from four overs, Kruger claimed 3/20 from 2.3 overs, and Anrich Nortjé and Siya Simetu claimed one each as the Warriors restricted the visitors to 117 all out, to claim a fourth victory in as many matches, three of them by a bonus point.

The convincing victory also saw them retain the top spot in the standings.

Earlier, Kruger and JP King shared 47 runs for the seventh wicket to propel the Warriors to 165/6 in their 20 overs. 

Chasing a revised target of 150 from 17 overs, the Rocks lost both Malan brothers when Swanepoel removed Janneman for a single, caught by Sinethemba Qeshile, before taking care of Pieter a ball later off an inside edge which cannoned back onto his stumps for a duck. 

Swanepoel had Clyde Fortuin caught by an advancing Kruger for 33 from 22 balls, including five boundaries and a six, for his third wicket of the match.

Simetu got in on the action with the dismissal of Michael Copeland (1) as the visitors reached the end of the power play on 42/4, bringing up the team half-century midway through the eighth over before a light mist of rain brought play to a brief halt. 

Three overs were lost during the 11-minute stoppage, resulting in the setting of the revised target.

Christiaan Jonker and Ferisco Adams dropped anchor in an attempt to put together a partnership, taking their side to 71/4 at the halfway mark. 

Kruger had Adams (13) caught on the boundary by Jiveshen Pillay, while Shaun von Berg fell without troubling the scorers, also caught on the fence by Jordan Hermann as they slipped to 80/6 in the 12th over.

Kruger’s third wicket came when Andile Mokgakane held on to a catch to get rid of Jonker, who scored his 33 at better than a run a ball while hitting only two boundaries. 

Imraan Manack was Swanepoel’s fourth victim, out for a single, before Hardus Viljoen and Siyabonga Mahima fought valiantly, but there was too much to do and the Rocks lost their final three wickets for just 16 runs. 

Winning the toss and electing to bat first, the home side lost skipper Matthew Breetzke for a single in the opening Viljoen over.

Pillay and Mokgakane combined to take the Warriors to 41/1 after the power play, sharing 42 runs for the second wicket before left-arm orthodox spinner Mahima struck twice to remove the set batters. 

Mahima got rid of Mokgakane in the seventh over for 16 runs before returning in the ninth to dismiss Pillay for a well played 45 from 29 balls, which included a boundary and four maximums.

Like his partner, Pillay was bowled by the wily spinner, with the Warriors on 67/3. 

Qeshile (24) and Jordan Hermann (19) then combined for 39 runs before they were removed by right-arm leg spinner Von Berg, caught by Jonker and Adams, respectively, as the Warriors reached 109/5 with five overs remaining. 

Swanepoel made a single before he edged Viljoen to Fortuin.

Kruger and King then combined to record their solid seventh-wicket partnership off 25 balls while hitting four boundaries and a six. 

Von Berg and Mahima returned figures of 2/23 and 2/33, respectively, while Viljoen took 2/28.

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