CSA T20 Challenge Wrap: ITEC Knights Crush Gbets Warriors With Ruthless Run Chase

A desperately poor bowling performance from the Gbets Warriors allowed the ITEC Knights to cruise to an easy nine-wicket win in their CSA T20 match at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Monday afternoon.

A brilliant batting performance from Jacques Snyman, who hammered 90 off 52 balls with 10 fours and three sixes, backed up by CP Klijnhans on debut who batted through the innings to end unbeaten on 71 off 55 balls (8x4; 1x6), helped them chase down the target of 171 with eight balls to spare.

The Warriors were firmly in the driving seat after scoring 170 for five in their 20 overs thanks to another Tristan Stubbs masterclass and with the Knights having not scored more than 128 in their first three games, which they lost, the home side were firm favourites.

However they then watched in horror as their bowlers were flayed all over the ground, while also strangely under-using their slower bowlers as the Knights powered home.

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Jon Jon Smuts was the best Warriors bowler, going for just 14 in his three overs, however he was not bowled out and although Wihan Lubbe only went for six in his one over he was strangely not used again.

In the Knights' chase, after Smuts's first over went for just two, the next five disappeared for 58 runs as they smashed 60 off the powerplay.

A Snyman boundary off Smuts then brought up his half century, while the team’s hundred came up in the next over.

With the 150 coming up in the 16th over the Knights were on target for a 10-wicket win, but Snyman was bowled by Mthiwekhaya Nabe, leaving Klijnhans and Pite van Biljon (8 not out) to take them comfortably over the line.

In the Warriors' innings Stubbs, who has lit this tournament up with his brilliant striking, powered his way to 65 off 35 balls (3x4; 5x6) to help the Warriors set a stiff target for the out-of-form Knights to try chase down for their first win of the competition.

Having won the toss and chosen to bat, the Warriors got their innings off to a solid start as Lubbe (24) and Matthew Breetzke (15) added 33 for the first wicket.

But none of the top three could kick on as Lubbe was the first to fall, caught by Snyman off the bowling of Alfred Mothoa.

Snyman came into the attack and managed a double strike in his first over, having Jon Jon Smuts (16) and Breetzke both caught going for big shots as the Warriors slipped to 61 for three after nine overs.

Stubbs was joined at the crease by Lesiba Ngoepe (27) and they set about the first of two 50-run stands for Stubbs, taking the Warriors past the hundred run mark while Stubbs received his first reprieve, dropped by Mothoa off the bowling of Gerald Coetzee along the way.

Ngoepe was caught by Mbulelo Budaza off Coetzee with the Warriors on 111 for four, however that brought Diego Rosier (13 not out) to the crease and he played the perfect role, backing up Stubbs by feeding him the strike in the closing overs.

CSA T20 Challenge Wrap: Dewald Brevis powers Multiply Titans to comfortable win over Hollywoodbets Dolphins

Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis powered the Momentum Multiply Titans to a comfortable seven-wicket win over the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in their CSA T20 Challenge clash at St George’s Park at Gqeberha on Monday.

As reported on Sports Brief, having been set 135 to win the Titans got off to the perfect start as Theunis de Bruyn (24) and Quinton de Kock (26) combined for an opening 50-run stand.

De Bruyn was run out by a direct hit from sub fielder Marques Ackerman and De Kock was caught off Thando Ntini as they slipped to 64 for two.