Heroics by Matthew Arnold and Aron Visser powered Eastern Storm to a 158-run win over Six Gun Grill South Western Districts in their Momentum One-Day Cup encounter at Willowmoore Park, Benoni, on Wednesday. South Western Districts were chasing 300 for victory, but capitulated in the 34th over, after scoring only 141 runs.
Eastern Storm, who won the toss and chose to bat first, found themselves in trouble almost immediately when opener Danie Rossouw was dismissed for two in the second over. Storm were in deeper trouble when Wesley Coulentianos was run out by Jhedli van Briesies in the sixth over. Coulentianos was in no man's land, halfway down the crease, when 20-year-old van Briesies executed a direct hit at the stumps.
Things went from bad to worse when Grant Thomson was dismissed by Andre Malan. However, a 195-run partnership between Aron Visser and Matthew Arnold shifted the momentum in Eastern Storm’s favour.
Player of the match, Arnold, top-scored with 128 runs (9x4s, 1x6). Arnold could not have timed his maiden List A century any better, as it came at a crucial time for his side. His partner, 22-year-old Aron Visser, who also scored his maiden List A century, was dismissed for a run-a-ball 114 (12x4s, 4x6s).
The duo were at the crease for 32 overs.
Eastern Storm’s last seven overs saw a procession of dismissals as Storm lost four wickets, adding only 53 runs.
South Western Districts’ chase did not start well, thanks to Divan Posthumus’ excellent PowerPlay bowling. The 27-year-old medium-pacer took three wickets from his five PowerPlay overs. Two of his five overs were maidens and he conceded only 6 runs.
South Western Districts had their backs against the wall, at 35 for four after the PowerPlay.
Hanno Kotze and Onke Nyaku were the only South Western Districts batters to mount some sort of resistance with a 74-run partnership. Nyaku, a former Cape Cobras player, scored a very watchful 30 off 47, while his partner was slightly faster with his 44 from 59.
Kotze and Nyaku were also the only South Western Districts batters to go past the 20-run mark.
By the 30th over, there was no contest to speak of. South Western Districts had lost eight wickets and still needed 182 runs to win. The required run-rate had ballooned to 9.10 runs per over. At the start of their innings, South Western Districts had needed to go at 5.98 runs per over but had trudged along at just over four runs an over in the 34 overs that they batted.
Khwezi Gumede was Eastern Storm’s best bowler with his five-wicket haul. This five-for is the 22-year-old’s second List A five-wicket haul, and it came at the cost of 32 runs. They are also Gumede’s career-best bowling figures.
Sean Whitehead and Andre Malan were South Western Districts’ best bowlers, taking two wickets apiece.
Eastern Storm: Danie Rossouw, Wesley Coulentianos, Aron Visser, Grant Thomson, Matthew Arnold, Tumelo Simelane, Sizwe Masondo, Tumelo Tlhokwe, Divan Posthumus, Khwezi Gumede, Clayton August.
Six Gun Grill South Western Districts: Yaseen Valli, Blayde Capell, Jean du Plessis, Andre Malan, Hanno Kotze, Onke Nyaku, Jhedli van Briesies, Sean Whitehead, Pheko Moletsane, Marcello Piedt, Renaldo Meyer.