/ 23 February 2008

Victorious Eagles earn a bonus point

The Diamond Eagles defeated the Warriors by 91 runs in their MTN domestic championship cricket match played at the De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley, on Friday. They also earned themselves a valuable bonus point. The Warriors were 38 without loss in the 13th over before veteran bowler Roger Telemachus struck.

The Diamond Eagles defeated the Warriors by 91 runs in their MTN domestic championship cricket match played at the De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley, on Friday. They also earned themselves a valuable bonus point.

Set a victory target of 222, the Warriors were 38 without loss in the 13th over before veteran medium-fast-bowler Roger Telemachus struck four times in a five-over spell to reduce the coastal franchise to 58/5.

Davy Jacobs and Justin Kreusch then added 42 in 39 minutes for the sixth wicket before Telemachus, recalled to the bowling attack, immediately snapped up a further two wickets to finish with remarkable 6/24 figures — his best since starting his distinguished limited-overs career way back in the 1994/95 season.

When the Warriors were all out in the 38th over for 130, Kreusch was undefeated on 52, a 70-ball innings that included the only six of the match. Man-of-the-match Telemachus could be justifiably proud of his remarkable 7-1-24-6 return on a good batting wicket.

Earlier, winning the toss and batting first, the Diamond Eagles got their innings off to a dreadful 4/2 start, tall fast-bowler Sinethemba Mjekula dismissing both Morne van Wyk and skipper Boeta Dippenaar in successive overs.

Opener Dean Elgar and Jacques Rudolph stood firm and with Elgar striking the ball particularly well, the pair put on 109 in 74 minutes before Elgar was snappily stumped by Davy Jacobs off the bowling of off-spinner Arno Jacobs for a 57-ball innings that included eight boundaries.

Rudolph, whose previous highest score in this season’s MTN competition was only 15 in six attempts, came right this time round. He and Ryan McLaren (31) put on 53 for the sixth wicket in 35 minutes. The Eagles were all out in the 44th over for 221 when Rudolph was caught in the outfield for a very well-played 89 scored off 105 balls.

Four of the Warriors bowlers took two wickets each with skipper Zander de Bruyn (2/36) and Sinethemba Mjekula (2/37), both in nine overs, probably the pick. — Sapa