Johannesburg — Beyers Swanepoel played a crucial role with both bat and ball at the ‘death; in both innings’ to help the Warriors claim a narrow victory over the defending champions Rocks in a thrilling T20 Challenge clash in Potchefstroom on Thursday night.
Swanepoel who had smashed 22 off 10 balls as the Warriors scored 51 runs off the last four overs of their innings, was called upon to bowl the last over of the match with nine runs to defend and did so successfully, bowling four dot balls.
Swanepoel’s heroics with the ball, left Janneman Malan stranded on 68 not out off 52 balls, with the remaining Rocks batters not showing the requisite composure to help the opener.
The Warriors had recovered after a tricky start in which they slumped to 33/3 in the seventh over. Once again 20 year old Jordan Hermann played impressively, steadying the ship and then accelerating in the second half of the innings in partnership with Matthew Breetzke who was given a new role in the middle order.
Both had to hold their nerve through the middle period, but once it was clear their team couldn’t be bowled out, they applied the, pressure on the Rocks bowlers, with some smart stroke play. Hermann, who made an unbeaten 67 in the first match against the Knights, in a similarly difficult position, struck six fours, in a 44-ball innings, where he made up for not hitting boundaries regularly by running well between the wickets.
Breetzke, who is as quick, was the ideal partner, and together the two shared a partnership of 89 for the fourth wicket.
Breetzke finished on 61 not out off 33 balls, hitting half a dozen fours and two sixes, while Swanepoel smashed two fours and a six, as the Warriors completed their innings on a high.
The younger Malan played almost the perfect anchor role for his side, who at one stage looked seriously as if they were chasing a bonus point win. With Leus du Plooy (25) and elder brother Pieter (16), who’d suffered a horrendous fall in the field earlier, attacking in the first half of the innings, the Rocks looked to be cruising.
But after Pieter Malan was dismissed by Ziyaad Abrahams, the Rocks lost wickets at regular intervals. Still with Janneman Malan registering a 10th T20 half-century they kept their noses in front, and looked to have decisively grasped the match in their favour when Malan took 17 off Glenton Stuurman in the 18th over.
Swanepoel with nine to defend locked Malan and Hardus Viljoen down in the final over however, to claim victory for the Eastern Cape side, which was understandably, celebrated in enthusiastic fashion.
Scorecard
Dafabet Warriors 165/4
Gbets Rocks 162/6
Warriors won by 3 runs
IOL Sport