Dewan Marais’ sublime catch in the 18th over demonstrated just how good the Eastern Storm were in all departments in their 23-run CSA T20 Knockout challenge victory against Mpumalanga Rhinos on September 29.
Amaan Khan had the ball in hand. He ran up to bowl, pitched it outside off and Musawenkosi Twala tried to go big but the ball held up in the wind and looked like it would land in no man’s land.
But Marais sprinted from the long-on boundary, closely watching the ball. He dived forward and brilliantly cupped it in his hands for the Storm’s eighth wicket.
The Rhinos were already in tatters at that point, needing 43 runs from two overs to win, and the lower-order smashed just about every ball looking for maximums.
Onslaught
The carnage started with the first ball of the opening over.
Set 172 to win after the Storm’s 171/8, it wasn’t the start the Rhinos hoped for when Muhammed Mayet edged Tumelo Simelane to Andrew Rasemene at short third man.
Yassar Cook followed in the second over, edging Rasemene to Kabelo Sekhukhune at fly slip to continue the Storm’s discipline with the ball as they restricted their visitors to 25/2 in the power-play.
But Nonelela Yikha (37 off 39) and Jurie Snyman (55 off 40) wrestled control and stitched together a brilliant 92 runs third-wicket partnership before they were separated in the 13th over.
Snyman took back-to-back sixes, both down the leg-side, off Simelane (3/28) in the over but the spinner got him with the next delivery when the left-hander tried to go big but instead hit the ball straight to Chris Britz at deep mid-wicket.
After reaching their 100 in the next over, Simelane dispatched Shane Dadswell, caught by Mark Pearse before Amaan Khan trapped Yikha LBW with the first ball of the 15th over.
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The wickets kept tumbling and this time, Marais reacted quickly from long-on to run-out Benjamin van Niekerk going for the second run.
Rasemene dispatched Gareth Dukes, caught behind by keeper Danie Rossouw, before Marais’ brilliant catch, restricting the Rhinos to 148/8 to maintain the Storm’s perfect start to the season.
Sekhukhune and Rossouw star with the bat
Earlier, Sekhukhune again led from the front with the bat, scoring 43 off 34. He shared a first-wicket stand of 71 with Britz (28 off 27) before being caught at deep mid-wicket by Themba Maupa off Dadswell in the ninth over.
Britz, run out by Mayet and Pearse, caught by Dukes off Snyman, immediately followed before Marais and Rossouw put 71 for the fourth wicket.
Rossouw scored a quick-fire 41 off 25 before Akhulile Mkhathu trapped him LBW. Leander Lubbe only lived short at the crease before Dukes had him caught down the leg side by Snyman and Maupa caught and bowled Khan.
Shaylin Pillay was run out by Hermann Rolfes with the last ball of the innings.
They face Limpopo Impalas in Polokwane on October 2.
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