Thanks in no small measure to an unbeaten 74 from Pierre de Bruyn and 83 from Zander de Bruyn, Easterns pulled off a thrilling two-wicket victory over near-neighbours the Highveld Strikers at the Wanderers.
The victory earned the visitors five points to remain in second place on the Standard Bank Cup log behind Western Province, who consolidated their position on top of the table with a 10-run victory over Griqualand West in Kimberley.
The visitors were in dire straits from the onset with their top three batsmen — Albie Morkel, Sven Koenig and Andrew Hall — all back in the hut almost before the scorers had sharpened their pencils.
But with Daryll Cullinan, who has been in sublime form this season, and another prolific scorer this season, Zander de Bruyn, at the wicket with him, anything could happen, and it did.
The pair added 111 for the fourth-wicket before Cullinan offered a simple catch to Umar Abrahams at long-on. Pierre then joined his namesake and the two De Bruyns put on 80 for the fifth-wicket before Zander was trapped in front by Derek Crookes.
With West Indian import Daren Powel entrusted with the last over and Easterns needing 16 runs to record an unlikely victory, the man from the Caribbean proved not to be equal to the task, the over reading Bye, 6, run/out, wide, 6, leg-bye, 1, for Easterns to snatch a deserved victory.
Pierre de Bruyn faced 52 balls for his unbeaten 74 and struck five boundaries and cleared the ropes four times.
Earlier Strikers openers Adam Bacher and Stephen Cook got the Strikers off to a dream start putting on 88 for the first-wicket; in the process Cook struck eight fours in his 56-ball third limited-overs half-century in six innings, however, seven deliveries after reaching that milestone Andrew Hall castled him with a peach of a yorker.
HD Ackerman with 38 off 35 balls and Derek Crookes with 38 off 31 deliveries both combined with Bacher to add 53 and 62 for the second and fourth wickets respectively, before both batsmen were snapped up by quickie Andre Nel.
Bacher — dropped by Zander de Bruyn on 14 — top scored with an obdurate 81 off 181 balls that included six boundaries and one huge six launched over cow-corner, before the opener played across the line to a Hall delivery only to have his furniture rearranged. — Sapa