Former internationals performed well for the Diamond Eagles as they saw off the Eastern Cape Warriors by 61 runs in the opening Standard Bank Pro20 match at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
Jacques Rudolph, Morne van Wyk and Nicky Boje were notable as the Eagles began their title defence in impressive fashion, earning a bonus point.
The Eagles were cursing a collapse that saw them slump from 121 without loss to 174 for eight, but that was more than enough runs to win as an accurate bowling performance limited the Warriors to 113 for eight in reply.
Eagles openers Van Wyk and Rudolph stayed together until the 13th over, adding 121 runs off 83 balls, but the slow bowling of Arno Jacobs put the innings on the skids.
Jacobs — a part-timer by his own admission — started the rot by trapping Van Wyk leg-before for 50 (39 balls) and ended up with five for 26, the first five-wicket haul in Standard Bank Pro20 history.
While Jacobs was the hero with the ball, he was helped by the pressure exerted at the other end by fellow off-spinner Johan Botha, who took two for 22 in his four overs.
Rudolph looked the complete batsman, hitting 10 fours and a six with minimum effort but wonderful timing as he scored 66 off 45 balls.
Boje (15) and Ryan Bailey (18) were the only other Eagles batsmen to make a contribution as the defending champions closed their innings in untidy fashion.
The Warriors’ innings then subsided with barely a whimper.
Johan van der Wath provided the pace-bowling fire with two for 15, but it was the slow poison of the spinners, who gained useful turn, that had the most effect.
Boje (4-0-25-1) and Thandi Tshabalala (4-0-15-1) bowled in tandem and swamped the Warriors in pressure before Rudolph rounded off a fabulous personal evening by taking three for 16 in three overs.
Jacobs and Murray Goodwin each scored 32, but were always under pressure. — Sapa