The Goodyear Eagles won the inaugural Standard Bank Pro 20 series by seven runs when the Mercedes-Benz Eastern Cape team, looking for 116 runs for victory, were confined to 108 for nine wickets in a thrilling end to the domestic season at Mercedes-Benz Park on Saturday.
With a lengthy break for rain during the supper break the Eastern Cape were set a revised target of 116 off 17 overs. Earlier the Goodyear Eagles had scored 131 for six in their 20 allotted overs.
With the ball swinging prodigiously the early batsmen struggled against some accurate bowling from Deon Kruis and Cliffie Deacon and four wickets fell to them, all caught behind by Morne van Wyk. Then Van Wyk was in action again when he brilliantly stumped Pieter Strydom off Nicky Boje.
Robin Peterson, meanwhile, was taking the bowling by the scruff of its neck and he smashed Boje for three sixes. He was fortunate on 34 to be dropped by Deacon on the mid-wicket boundary, the ball squirting out of hands and rolling over the boundary edge.
With three overs to go 30 were needed but after a productive over off Roger Telemachus, Peterson tried one big hit too many and he was caught off Johan van der Wath for 42 off only 35 balls. Telemachus took the last over with the Eastern Cape team looking for 16 runs with two wickets standing.
Laden Gamiet was then bowled and with two balls left and 12 required, Brent Kops had to hit two sixes to win the game. He swung lustily at the first ball and the ball raced over the mid-wicket boundary.
It was all over for the local team. When they batted the Eagles innings got off to a good start with Van Wyk and Davey Jacobs adding a quick 32. Jacobs had a narrow escape when on 12. He slammed a ball to mid-on and the fielder, Justin Kreusch, with only one stump to aim at, scored with a direct hit.
Jacobs, sliding in with bat outstretched, was just home as the ball ricocheted off the stumps to the boundary, with five runs added to Jacobs’ score.
Then Tyron Henderson and left-hander Kops broke through, each dismissing an opener from miss-timed pulls, and the scoring rate dropped alarmingly for the Eagles when experienced international Boeta Dippenaar was out, caught by wicketkeeper Boucher off Kops after the ball had bounced out of Arno Jacobs’ hands at first slip.
Deacon and Loots Bosman enjoyed a fast partnership of 58, with Bosman helping himself to two huge sixes off medium-pacer Kreusch.
There was a short interruption when rain fell at 91-3 after 15,3 overs, and the break favoured the home team as three balls later Deacon, attempting a big hit off Strydom, was brilliantly stumped by Boucher for 27.
Next over Bosman was caught on the fence for a hard-hit 29 and there was just time for Johan van der Wath to crash his way to 28 not out off only 12 balls, including a huge six off Henderson’s last ball of the innings.
During the supper break the rain fell heavily and play was delayed for some time. To entertain the crowd a streaker with one leg heavily bandaged, attempted to hop across the ground but was apprehended by security staff close to the boundary and arrested.
The Master Blaster batsman award went to Peterson and Deacon received the Master Blaster bowler award. The Master Blaster batsman award for the series went to the Eagles’ Loots Bosman. – Sapa