Storm wins first T20 challenge game

The Eastern Storm got back to winning ways when they claimed their first CSA T20 Challenge win away to the Garden Route Badgers on March 12.

After losing their opening two fixtures, Geoffrey Toyana’s charges got things back on track with a nine-run victory at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn, thanks to a great bowling display from the Storm attack.

Set 173 to win, the hosts’ chase got off to a disastrous start when opener Matthew Christensen was caught in the deep by Kabelo Sekhukhune off the bowling of spinner Leander Lubbe in the second over.

Christensen’s fellow opener Blayde Capell followed in the seventh over off Eastern Storm skipper Shane Dadswell before Tumelo Simelane dismissed Kyle Jacobs in the next over.

Dadswell grabbed his second wicket of the match when he had Jean du Plessis caught behind by Danie Russouw.
Simelane joined his captain on two wickets with the dismissal of Jhedli van Briesies in the 12th over.

After some resistance from Thomas Kaber (21) and Heath Richards (42), who built a solid sixth-wicket stand, Kaber nicked Andrew Rasemene behind to Russouw and the Badgers lost their seventh wicket when seamer Thula Ngcobo dismissed Jarred Jardine for one.

When Divan Posthumus got rid of Richards, it was game over for the Badgers, and Ngcobo landed the final blow with the wicket of Marcello Piedt as the home side managed 163/9 in their 20 overs, falling nine shots of their target.

At the start of play, Eastern Storm posted 172/7, which rode on Lubbe’s unbeaten 33 off 19 and Dadswell’s well-crafted 38 off 21 at the death.

The proceedings started slowly for the Storm as Russouw was dismissed without adding much to the scoreboard. Sekhukhune laid a solid foundation for the middle order with 35 off 27, which included four boundaries.

Shaylen Pillay scored 11 before following Russouw to the change room. The youngster Devan Marais, who scored a 50 in their last game, came on in the middle and added 29 off 17 before Christensen ran him out.

After the dismissals of Aron Visser (9) and Posthumus (7), Lubbe came to the crease with the score on 99/6. He combined well with Dadswell as they added 72 for the seventh wicket before Capell ran out Dadswell with the last ball of the innings.

Lubbe smashed three maximums and a single boundary while Dadswell was destructive with three fours and two sixes as the duo pushed the Storm to a competitive score.

Jacobs was the pick of the bowlers for the Badgers with two wickets while Liyabona Malife, Piedt and Jardine took one scalp apiece.

Eastern Storm will meet the Northern Cape Heat at Willowmoore Park on March 15 at 13:00.

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