It was nip and tuck but the NW Dragons managed to hold their nerve with a 1 run win against Eastern Storm to claim their spot in the CSA Provincial T20 playoffs.
Chad Classen needed to defend 18 runs from the final over, but Clayton August (25 from 16 balls) and Tumelo Thlokwe (14 off 10) kept things interesting up until the final ball, where 4 runs was needed. Thlokwe could only managed 2 runs, as they ended on 157/6, narrowly short of NW Dragons total of 158/7.
August earlier hit a six off Classen’s final over to keep the Storm in the hunt for an upset. NW just averted a heartbreaking loss and will be mightily relieved after having taken control of the match through some disciplined bowling in the last five overs.
Earlier, North West was put in first and lost a couple of early wickets but opener Wesley Marshall kept the ball rolling for his team. Marshall was the aggressor from the start for the NW Dragons in their total of 158/7 with a solid 73 off 47 balls. His knock included 6 fours and 3 sixes as he showcased what an impact he can make with the bat in the first 10 overs.
The only other batsman to reach double figures was captain, Senuran Muthusamy, who intelligently kept the strike, batting with the tail enders to score an invaluable 62 (38)*.
His innings included 7 fours as well as a six. The top bowlers for Eastern Storm were Jurie Snyman, who took 3/16 in 4 overs with superb spin bowling. The Dragons needed to defend a total of 158 and Eldred Hawken (1/21) made the perfect start for the Potchefstroomers bowling the dangerous Danie Rossouw for 11.
Duan Jansen, back in the NW Dragons colours, struck in his first over to get rid of Grant Thomson for 14. Youngster, Caleb Seleka (1/10), another Gimmie old boy, took the next wicket, bowling Sizwe Masondo to leave Eastern Storm on 45/3. Jurie Snyman (33 off 21) and Matthew Arnold (33 off 25) gave Eastern Storm hope with a flurry of boundaries but their 66 run partnership was ended when Jansen struck twice in his final over.
He first bowled Snyman, before getting the wicket of Armand Erasmus (1) with his last ball. Part time bowler, Shaylen Pillay (1/15) in two overs, also got into the act delivering in a pressure situation to dismiss the dangerous Arnold with the score on 118.
The Dragons used a total of 8 bowlers to mix things up and this strategy worked for the most part. The opening bowlers, Hawken and Chad Classen did their job at the death (just) to take NW to victory and progression to the quarter-finals which will start on 19 October in Kimberley.
The Dragons will face Boland on 20 October in the quarter-final.
