Mpumalanga Rhinos outdo Eastern Storm in T20 opener
The Mpumalanga Rhinos got their CSA Provincial T20 Cup campaign off to the best possible start, overcoming Eastern Storm at Uplands College by 22 runs on Wednesday March 6.
The Mpumalanga Rhinos weathered the storm in their first match of the 2024 CSA Provincial T20 Cup competition, defeating Eastern Storm by 22 runs at Uplands College on Wednesday March 6.
Played in the warm afternoon sun, Eastern Storm won the toss and sent the home side in to bat first. Rhinos skipper Jurie Snyman got off to a decent start for his side, scoring a quick 21 off 11 balls.
His opening partner, Muhammed Mayet, struggled to get going at first, but once he kicked into gear, he dispatched the Storm bowlers all over the Uplands Oval. Yassar Cook provided great support with 29 off 15 balls before he had to retire, hurt after a straight drive from Mayet had struck him on the hand while backing up at the non-striker’s end.
After a bit of a lull, Gareth Dukes provided the innings with some much-needed impetus again with his 43 off 25 balls. Jon Hinrichsen scored a quick 16 not-out off seven balls and the Rhinos found themselves on 202-5 at the end of their 20 overs.
The Storm got off to a decent start by not losing a wicket in the powerplay, but soon found themselves falling behind the required run rate of 10 an over. Kabelo Sekhukhune fell for 44 in the eighth over courtesy of a catch off of Junior Makua’s bowling.
The Rhinos then piled on the pressure by taking a further three wickets for only 11 runs. However, Storm opener Danie Rossouw remained at the crease and played a gritty innings that kept his side in the contest in spite of wickets falling all around him.
When he finally fell for 93 in the 18th over after being bowled by former U19 Proteas player Hermann Rolfes on his Rhinos debut, the game was all but over. Eastern Storm eventually reached 180-7 in their 20 overs and the Rhinos emerged victorious by 22 runs.
Rolfes finished with three wickets for 30 runs in his four overs. Gregory Mahlokwana bagged two wickets, while Makua and Kieran Kenny also took one wicket each.
Led by captain Snyman, the encounter was the Rhinos’ first under the guidance of new head coach Mbasa Gqadushe, who took over the reins from Gordon Matheson. This comes after somewhat disappointing one-day and four-day campaigns in which the Rhinos finished bottom of the log in both competitions.
A former KwaZulu-Natal Inland player with 189 games of first class, List A and T20 experience, Gqadushe had previously served as coaching manager for the union and also as assistant coach for the Mpumalanga Rhinos. Matheson has stayed on among the coaching staff as batting coach, while Gerhard Vosloo has taken up the role of assistant coach.
These changes were brought about in the build-up to the T20 campaign in the hopes of a change in fortunes for the Rhinos. After their victorious start to the competition, Rhinos will face an in-form Limpopo Impalas side at Uplands College on Thursday March 14 in a bid to continue their perfect start.
