Kyle Nipper scored a sensational unbeaten 97 as he steered the AET Tuskers to a two-wicket victory over Eastern Storm in their CSA One-Day Cup match at Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg, on Sunday.
Following a shaky start by the home team, Nipper carved 12 fours as he expertly guided Tuskers to 222 for eight.
The Tuskers were chasing 219 runs to win. Under the 35-year-old's guidance, the home side sealed victory with an over to spare. The former Dolphins player kept a cool head and glued the innings together as wickets tumbled on the other end.
Nipper was crowned player of the match for his match-winning innings.
Earlier in the day, Kabelo Sekhukhune had fought a lone battle to drag Eastern Storm to 218 for eight after 50 overs. The 25-year-old opening batter was at the crease to face the first ball and was there for the last delivery as he batted his way to an unbeaten 86 from 120 balls.
Eastern Storm won the toss and chose to bat first.
Tuskers' opening bowlers Keith Dudgeon and Stefan Tait had a good morning. The pair struck early, within six deliveries of each other, to destabilise Eastern Storm's PowerPlay.
The first wicket of the morning was Mark Pearse, who fell in the fifth over, dismissed by Dudgeon for nine runs. On the 5.1-over mark, Tait dismissed Aron Visser for one run from six balls.
Tait took his second wicket 13 balls after his first one with the dismissal of Leander Lubbe. Eastern Storm's top-order collapse left them in a precarious position.
They were struggling on 26 for three wickets after 7.2 overs. But, Tait was not yet done with his PowerPlay massacre. The 26-year-old speedster dismissed Dewan Marais for a six-ball duck with one delivery of the PowerPlay remaining.
Eastern Storm were pinned on the back foot with 32 for four after 10 overs on the scoreboard.
Opener Kabelo Sekhukhune and No 6 batter Shane Dadswell rolled up their sleeves to do a rebuilding job for Eastern Storm. The pair's effort lasted for 9.4 overs and was Eastern Storm's first partnership to reach the 50-run mark.
The partnership was broken when 25-year-old Dadswell fell to Michael Erlank's bowling for 32 runs from 38 balls.
Despite watching wickets tumble on the other end, 25-year-old Sekhukhune maintained composure and steadily batted his way to his sixth List A half-century. Sekhukhune's 50 runs came off 68 deliveries on the first ball of the 31st over.
Eastern Storm were on 128 for five.
Sekhukhune and experienced campaigner Mangaliso Mosehle's sixth-wicket partnership was worth 62 runs and were Eastern Storm's second partnership to cross the 50-run mark.
Thirty-two-year-old Mosehle's promising innings was brought to a halt by Kyle Nipper in the 33rd over. Mosehle had scored 29 off 47.
After 40 overs, Eastern Storm were on 170 for six wickets and Sekhukhune, who was now on 67 runs from 90 balls, was batting with his seventh partner in the form of Mykyle Pillay.
The pair saw Eastern Storm to the 200-run mark at the end of the 47th over. Shortly afterwards, two deliveries later, Sekhukhune equalled his highest List A score of 83 runs.
Keith Dudgeon provided Tuskers with a breakthrough when he dismissed Pillay for 32 runs from 49 deliveries after 47.6 overs.
Sekhukhune and Pillay provided the visitors with their third partnership worth more than 50 runs. They added 59 runs to the total.
Dudgeon, who took the first wicket of the innings, took the last wicket of the innings with the dismissal of Divan Posthumus.
Posthumus went for a run-a-ball seven runs. Sekhukhune registered a new career-best List A high score with his unbeaten 86.
Keith Dudgeon was the most successful Tuskers bowler with two wickets from 10 overs for 30 runs. Stefan Tait also took three wickets in 10 overs, however, he went for 39 runs. Tait also bowled the only maiden over of the innings.
NIPPEN UNBEATEN
Opening bowlers Divan Posthumus and Amaan Khan gave Eastern Storm captain Mangaliso Mosehle the start he would have dreamt of. The duo bossed the PowerPlay by taking a chunk of wickets.
The first Tuskers wicket to fall was that of Thamsanqa Kumalo. Posthumus dismissed the left-handed batter for six runs on the last ball of the second over.
On the next delivery, Khan doubled the wicket tally with the dismissal of Yaseen Valli for a two-ball duck to leave the Tuskers on seven runs for two wickets after 2.1 overs.
The next two batters, Andile Mogakane and Michael Erlank retreated into their shells and faced the next 13 deliveries without scoring a single run.
With the pressure increasing, something had to give. That something turned out to be Erlank's wicket. The Tuskers captain fell to Posthumus for a seven-ball duck.
Four deliveries later, Posthumus made it two wickets in one over when he trapped Koekemoer lbw for two runs from four balls.
Tuskers were on 29 for four after 10 overs.
Tuskers found themselves in more trouble when Andile Mogakane was dismissed in the 17th over. The Tuskers were left on 50 for five after Mogakane was dismissed for 22 off 45 by Mykyle Pillay.
Tuskers needed a substantial partnership to get them back into the game. Their hope lay in experienced campaigner Malcolm Nofal remaining at the crease for as long as possible.
What happened instead was that Nofal was dismissed with more than half the innings to go. The 31-year-old, who has plied his trade in New Zealand, fell to Divan Posthumus for 22 runs after 19.2 overs.
At this point, Tuskers were on 59 for six.
After Nofal's dismissal Nipper built a strong seventh-wicket partnership with Dilivio Ridgaard. They contributed 72 runs that gave hope to the Tuskers.
That partnership was broken by Kabelo Sekhukhune in the 36th over. The 25-year-old spinner dismissed Ridgaard for 25 runs off 46 balls.
3.2 overs after the fall of Ridgaard's wicket, Nipper celebrated his 14th List A half-century. His 50 runs came off 66 deliveries.
Nipper needed a partner to bat with him for at least 10 overs to put the Tuskers within touching distance of victory, but Alindile Mhletywa failed to be that batter.
Mhletywa stuck around for exactly five overs before he was dismissed by Mykyle Pillay for 13 runs.
After 45 overs, the Tuskers were on 183 for eight. They needed 36 runs from 30 balls to win.
After 48.5 overs, the scores were level.
One ball later, the Tuskers dressing room was celebrating victory as the ball raced to the boundary for four runs.
Nipper, who had accelerated his scoring, was unbeaten on 97 from 93 balls.
In the later stages of the innings, he had been supported by Keith Dudgeon. The pacer was unbeaten on 18 from 27.
Divan Posthumus was Eastern Storm's most successful bowler with four wickets from 10 overs for 48 runs.
With his figures of 4- 48, Posthumus recorded his best bowling figures in List A cricket.
Mykyle Pillay chipped in with two wickets from 10 overs for 29 runs.
SNYMAN AND HINRICHSEN STAR IN THRILLER AT UPLANDS COLLEGE
Jurie Snyman and Jon Hinrichsen starred with bat and ball as Mpumalanga Rhinos clinched a one-wicket win over Limpopo Impalas in their CSA One-Day Cup match at Uplands College, White River.
In a tight chase, Jurie Snyman played a patient knock that featured eight fours and a single six on his way to 93 runs off 129 balls.
Snyman's knock glued the Rhinos' innings as wickets clattered around him. Earlier in the day, Jon Hinrichsen had given the Rhinos a chance at victory with exceptional bowling that saw him register his maiden List A five-wicket haul and register new career-best bowling figures.
Hinrichsen took five wickets for 34 runs in eight overs.
During their innings, the Limpopo Impalas were plagued by a consistent loss of wickets. No other batter besides Morne Venter crossed the 30-run mark. Venter scored a valiant 89 that came off 120 deliveries.
The Rhinos won the match with one ball to spare.
Limpopo Impalas, who won the toss and chose to bat first, found themselves in choppy waters early into their innings.
Their opener Thomas Hobson was unable to replicate his innings from the previous one-day match where he scored a solid half-century.
The 28-year-old batter fell to Hinrichsen's bowling for one run. Hobson had faced three deliveries. 4.2 overs later, Hinrichsen doubled his wicket tally with the dismissal of Ludwig Kaestner for 11 off 21 balls.
Hinrichsen's double strike elicited a cautious approach from Ruan Haasbroek was Morne Venter. After 10 overs, Haasbroek was on four from 24, while Venter had faced 12 balls for his six runs.
The duo added 39 runs from 10.1 overs before Hinrichsen took a catch off Kieran Kenny's bowling to dismiss Haasbroek for 19 off 44.
Venter and Liam Peters provided the Impalas with their first substantial partnership. The two batters shared a 46-run fourth-wicket partnership.
The fledgling partnership with broken in the 29th over when Peters fell to Alexander Kok's bowling for 25 runs off 44 deliveries.
After 35.1 overs, Morne Venter raised his bat to celebrate his second List A half-century. The 24-year-old faced 76 deliveries to reach his 50.
After 40 overs, Morne Venter achieved another milestone by equaling his highest List A score of 63 runs.
The Impalas' highest partnership was between Venter and Sizwe Masondo. They added 82 runs to the total.
Their fifth-wicket stand was broken late into the 47th over when Hinrichsen dismissed Masondo for 26 off 57 deliveries.
The next batter in, Shelton Ngobeni, lasted for only three deliveries before he was dismissed by Thula Ngcobo for two runs.
Morne Venter's impressive innings came to an end on the 48.2-over mark of the innings. Venter was dismissed by Jon Hinrichsen after registering a new career-best List A high score of 89 runs.
Hinrichsen made it two wickets in two balls when he dismissed Michael McNicol for a golden duck.
Hinrichsen was the pick of the Mpumalanga Rhinos bowlers. The 23-year-old pacer registered his maiden List A five-wicket haul with five wickets for 34 runs in eight overs. Hinrichsen also bowled the most maiden overs (2).
VICTORY SEALED WITH ONE BALL REMAINING
Sithembile Langa and Morne Venter started like a house on fire. The pacers made early inroads by dismissing the Mpumalanga Rhinos' opening pair of Tumi Koto and Yassar Cook before either batter had troubled the scorers.
The first wicket to fall was that of Koto, he fell for a two-ball duck to Langa's bowling. Cook also fell for a two-ball duck. He was trapped lbw by Morne Venter.
Langa and Venter then combined for the third wicket of the innings on the 6.6-over mark. Muhammad Mayet fell after scoring 11 runs from 19 deliveries off the bowling of Sithembile Langa and caught by Morne Venter.
Mpumalanga Rhinos were on 26 for three wickets after 10 overs.
Rubin Hermann and Jurie Snyman joined forces to mount a rebuild in the seventh over. The two of them stuck around for 81 balls and contributed 73 runs to the total.
Their rebuilding effort was going well until it was thwarted by Sithembile Langa in the 21st over. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper had scored 43 off 68.
Hermann's erstwhile partner, Jurie Snyman, played a fluent innings to bring up his 11th List A half-century. After 30 overs, the Rhinos were on 134 for four wickets and the 27-year-old middle-order batter was on 56 from 66 balls.
Snyman and Benjamin van Niekerk's 74-run partnership that came off 108 balls inched the home team closer to victory. When it was broken by Thomas Hobson in the 39th over, the Rhinos needed 46 runs from 81 runs for victory.
Van Niekerk was dismissed for 33 runs from 44 balls.
2.1 overs after van Niekerk, Snyman and his new partner, Alexander Kok added only six runs to the total. Kok faced nine deliveries before he was dismissed by Langa for three runs.
2.5 overs later, the Rhinos’ batting order collapse continued with the dismissal of Martin Dlamini. Dlamini was dismissed for a single run by Ruan Haasbroek.
After 45 overs, Mpumalanga Rhinos needed 27 runs from 30 deliveries to seal victory.
The Rhinos lost their in-form batter with just 10 deliveries left in the match. Jurie Snyman was eventually prised away from the crease by Thomas Hobson. Snyman fell after scoring a valiant 93 from 129 balls that kept the Rhinos in the game.
Hinrichsen, the Rhinos' star with the ball came in with the home team in need of 12 runs to win. The medium pacer faced the last four balls of Hobson's over, scored eight runs and was dismissed, caught and bowled by Hobson, on the last ball of the over.
The Rhinos levelled the scores on the 49.4-over mark. With two deliveries left in the game, Limpopo Impalas needed one wicket to win and the Rhinos needed one run to win.
Kieran Kenny scored the winning run for the Rhinos with a single delivery to spare. Kenny remained unbeaten on 13 from 17 and Thula Ngcobo scored one run from the single delivery he faced.
Sithembile Langa was Limpopo Impalas' most successful bowler with four wickets from 10 overs for 33 runs.
The figures, 4-33 are Langa's new best bowling figures in a List A match.
His previous best bowling figures in List A cricket were four for 69. Thomas Hobson took three wickets from nine overs for 46.