Tumelo Simelane and Andrew Rasemene scripted a sensational Eastern Storm victory over Limpopo Impalas in the CSA T20 Knockout at Willowmoore Park on November 15.

Easterns won the rain-affected contest by eight wickets, with 11 balls remaining, via the Duckworth-Lewis System (DLS) method after Simelane and Rasemene’s brilliance with the new ball.

The hosts were desperate for a bonus point win for a place in the knockouts after claiming their first win in the T20 competition on Wednesday, away to the Garden Route Badgers. Their intent was clear from the first ball after Captain Grant Thomson won the toss and decided to send the Impalas to bat first.

Simelane’s orthodox spin was unplayable, while the bounce on the pitch made Rasemene a handful as Limpopo fell to 28/5 in the powerplay.

Given the responsibility to open the bowling, Simelane struck with the first ball of the innings when Impalas opener Tylor Trenoworth edged him to Rasemene at backward point.

Rasemene entered the fray and made an immediate impact with a length ball that enticed Liam Peters to attempt to clear the field, only for the left-hander to mishit to Dewan Marais at backward square.

Simelane grabbed his second and Storm’s third with the wicket of Sizwe Masondo. After sending the left-arm spinner to the covers with the third ball of the over, Masondo went for a repeat with the next ball. However, this time it lacked power and height as it landed comfortably to Jurie Snyman at mid-on.

The domino effect continued as Rasemene plunged the Limpopo outfit into further trouble when Christoffel Klinjhans drove him to Shaveer Khan at point, before Amaan Khan grabbed the Storm’s fifth with a missile that clipped the top of Ludwig Kaestner’s off stump.

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After Kaestner’s departure, Keenan Vieira and Emmanuel Motswiri tried to restore parity with back-to-back fours off Khan, first a cut to third man and then an elegant cover drive to end the sixth over. But that momentum didn’t last as Vieira scooped Simelane to Thomson at short fine leg in the seventh over.

The Impalas’ innings were saved by Motswiri (28 off 32) and Atwell Mokgoloboto, as the pair shared 45 for the seventh wicket before Snyman broke the partnership when Motswiri holed out to Shaveer at deep point.

Mokgoloboto and Hlompho Modinokoane added 15 before a light drizzle halted proceedings with Limpopo on 97/7 in the 17th over. After the weather cleared, the game was revised to eight overs with the home side needing 57 to win.

Christopher Britz got off with a four past backward square before Kabelo Sekhukhune sent Mokgoloboto over deep midwicket for a maximum as the first over yielded 15 runs.

The Eastern openers continued their attack, but Sekhukhune fell to Don Radebe, trying to clear the fence, only to mishit to Vieira at the backward point.

Snyman contributed 12 runs, including launching Radebe down the ground with the first ball he faced, before mistiming the same bowler to third man in the sixth over.

Brayden Hicks was dropped at a silly point but came back with a six over deep backward square before Britz sealed it with a four past deep backward point.

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