De Zorzi, Linde help WP thrash Knights by 178 runs

Tony de Zorzi’s phenomenal form continued with a third century of the season for Six Gun GrWestern Province who posted their highest 50-over score, a daunting 366 for seven, to set up victory in their CSA One-Day Cup match against the ITEC Knights at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.

The Knights collapsed to a miserable 160 all out in reply to lose by a whopping 178 runs (DLS) with WP securing a bonus point.

Thunderstorms and lightning briefly threatened to deny them victory with the home side limping to 32 for three after just six overs after Beuran Hendricks bowled Gihan Cloete (11) and spinner George Linde (3-35) bowled Gerrit Snyman (16) and Raynard van Tonder for a second-ball duck before trapping Isaac Dikgale lbw for 19.

Wayne Parnell (2-15) struck twice when play resumed to remove any doubt about the result as the visitors rushed to 20 overs in order to ensure a result with more thunderstorms threatening. Legspinner Junaid Dawood (3-38) efficiently mopped up the tail-end wickets.

Left-handed opener, De Zorzi, batted beautifully from the first over until the 41st when he was finally dismissed for 133 from just 118 deliveries with 14 fours and two sixes. A top-edged slog-sweep against offspinner Patrick Botha was well caught by Mbulelo Budaza at deep backward square leg.

De Zorzi posted scores of 167 and 304* in the first two rounds of the CSA 4-Day Challenge but the change in format made little difference to the former SA under-19 batsman whose full array of strokes was once again on display.

Fellow opener Jonno Bird was no less impressive during an opening stand of 208 to which Bird contributed 86 from 98 balls with six fours and two sixes in one over against offspinner Gerrit Snyman during the first Power Play.

Bird was ‘yorked’ by Knights captain and the third offspinner in the attack, Aubrey Swanepoel, in the 33rd over, having laid the perfect platform for the big-hitting which was to follow.

Gavin Kaplan stroked a stylish 23 from 18 balls (3x4) before a premeditated reverse sweep backfired with a high full-toss from Swanepoel crashing into his stumps but there was little respite in the closing overs, with Daniel Smith (26 off 17 balls) and George Linde both scoring freely.

Big-hitting Linde was in devastating and unforgiving form reaching his 50 from a mere 22 balls before holing out to long-on in the final over with a remarkable 70 from 34 balls with six fours and five sixes.

It was a torrid afternoon for the Knights bowlers for whom Swanepoel was the best with 3-63 from his 10 overs.

It is just the second game in the competition for both teams, with Western Province having won their opening fixture and the Knights being heavily beaten in theirs.

KNIGHTS: Gihahn Cloete, Raynard van Tonder, Jacques Snyman, Patrick Botha, Migael Pretorius, Isaac Dikgale, Aubrey Swanepoel (captain), Mbulelo Budaza, Garnett Tarr, Nhlakanipho Mpungose, Patrick Kruger.

WESTERN PROVINCE: Tony de Zorzi, Jonathan Bird, Yaseen Vallie, Daniel Smith, George Linde, Wayne Parnell (captain), Beuran Hendricks, Tshepo Moreki, Junaid Dawood, Gavin Kaplan, Mihlali Mpongwana.