Lightning forced the abandonment of the CSA T20 Challenge match between the Dafabet Warriors and the ITEC Knights at the JB Marks ground in Potchefstroom on Tuesday afternoon.
The match, the third in the competition which started on Monday, was poised for a tight finish after the Warriors – having been restricted to a modest 134 for nine in their 20 overs – struck back to reduce the Knights to 21 for three in 2.5 overs.
The odds looked in favour of the Knights when they began their run chase, but Glenton Stuurman changed all that with a wicket in each of his first two overs as well as a low catch at point to get rid of the dangerous Raynard van Tonder.
The paceman got his team off to the perfect start when he knocked back the leg stump of opener Gihahn Cloete with the first ball of the innings before wrecking the woodwork yet again in his next over as Pite van Biljon essayed a booming drive. In between he clasped a low catch at point – which required careful inspection from the TV umpire – to get rid of Van Tonder off the bowling of Beyers Swanepoel.
As Van Biljon departed, the umpires took the players off the field as thunder and lightning erupted nearby.
Earlier, newly signed left-hander Jordan Hermann played a lone hand, striking an unbeaten 67 in 45 balls to enable the Warriors to at least compile a tolerable total.
The only other batsman to get into double figures was Lubbe who struck three fours and a six in his 14-ball 18. His dismissal in the fourth over brought Hermann to the crease and he began in sensational fashion, striking three sixes in his first 20 runs. Unfortunately for him, his partners came and went quickly as the Knights’ spinners – particularly Aubrey Swanepoel who took 3-27 in his four overs – managed to get some turn and generally dominated the batsmen.
Hermann showed a lot of maturity to bat through the innings. Knowing that his dismissal would almost certainly have kept the final total below a hundred, he was forced to keep his powder relatively dry after his dynamic start until the final stages of the innings.
In the final over, he went to his 50, striking two sixes off paceman Migael Pretorius as he helped to take 19 off the over, the most expensive of the innings, as he and tailender Akhona Mnyaka added 27 at the death to give his team’s total a veneer of respectability.
GBETS WARRIORS: Gihahn Cloete (wk), Jacques Snyman, Raynard van Tonder, Aubrey Swanepoel (capt), Patrick Kruger, Pite van Biljon, Orapeleng Motlhoaring, Gerald Coetzee, Migael Pretorius, Alfred Mothoa, Mbulelo Budaza
ITEC KNIGHTS: Matthew Breetzke, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Diego Rosier, Lesiba Ngoepe, Sinethemba Qeshile (wk), Beyers Swanepoel, Akhona Mnyaka, Glenton Stuurman, Kgaudisa Molefe, Ziyaad Abrahams, Jordan Hermann