Eastern Storm Veterans clinch over-40s IPT title
The team successfully defended its 213 as it restricted the Titans to 194/9 to win by 19 runs.
The Easter Storm Veterans were crowned the Veterans Cricket Association of over 40s IPT champions after beating the Titans in the 45-over final at the Gelvandale Cricket Club in Gqeberha on May 23.
In an all-round performance, the Easterns vets thrived in all departments to clinch the tournament with a 19-run victory after restricting the Pretoria side to 194/9 in their 45 overs.
After being set 214 to win, the Titans’ chase began positively. Pierre Kotze and Hennie Smith stitched 61 for the opening wicket before former CBC Boksburg bowler Robert Mutch sent them to the shed in the 18th over.
Mutch first had Kotze (28 off 53 balls) caught by Christopher Thompson with the second ball of the over before bowling Smith (29 off 52 balls) three balls later.
Alwyn Vorster and Michiel Boshoff steadied the ship with a 38-run stand for the third wicket, but Rashad Mia dismantled the partnership with excellent bowling in the 26th over.
The off-spinner first had Vorster (21 off 27) caught by Kyle Smit before he combined with Nico Swanepoel to run out Boshoff (6 off 20) with the last ball of the over to leave the Titans on the backfoot on 101/4.
Pieter Booysen reduced the Titans to 129/6 with the wicket of Quintas Eksteen in the 29th over before striking again six overs later with the dismissal of Piet Botha, caught behind by Thompson.
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The wickets kept tumbling like dominoes as Mia bowled Tappies Erasmus with the first ball of the 36th over before Nico de Klerk struck twice on the business end of the innings – first bowling Sedwyn Anthony in the 40th over and then had Llewellyn Barendse caught by Mia two overs later.
Mutch, Mia, Booysen and De Klerk ended with two scalps each to help their team win the title by 19 runs.
At the start of the day, Eastern Storm won the toss and elected to bat.
The Ekurhuleni side registered 213/9 in their 45 overs, and De Klerk, Smit, and Brendon Reddy led the charts with valuable contributions with the bat.
Smit and De Klerk laid a solid foundation upfront, with the former contributing 33 off 23, which included five fours and a six, while the latter scored 46 off 68.
Craig Turton added a valuable run-a-ball 26 in the middle before Reddy scored a hard-fought 30 off 39 at the back end of the innings to drive Easterns to a defendable 213/9.
Badi Sthembele and Barendse took two wickets each for the Titans.
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