Kyle Verreynne played a sensational knock to set World Sports Betting Western Province up for an emphatic bonus point 63-run win over the Gbets Rocks in their CSA T20 Challenge match at Eurolux Boland Park on Friday.
The Western Province captain was in sublime form as he lifted his side to 173 for four.
The Rocks stumbled their way to 110 in 17.4 overs as Western Province romped to victory with 14 balls to spare.
When the 26-year-old arrived at the close of the fifth over, Western Province were in a pickle.
They had crumbled to 33 for two and needed someone to rescue the match.
Verreynne chose a circumspect approach in the early part of his innings, going at a run-a-ball in the first 20 balls he faced.
However, he flipped a switch and caught fire. He scorched everything in his way in the last six overs.
He raced to a 34-ball half-ton on his way to an unbeaten 77 off 42.
50 up for Kyle Verreynne!🔥🏏👏😍#WPcricket #westernprovince #BoysInBlue💙#WSBWP🧡 #WSBNewlands #WozaNawe #T20Challenge pic.twitter.com/iOMDf8EY6V
— Western Province Men (@WP_Blitz) April 19, 2024
His boundaries were equally split, five fours and five sixes.
Verreynne's captain's knock was helped along by George Linde, with whom he recalibrated the Western Province innings.
The pair shared a 66-run stand in 7.2 overs. The allrounder scored a healthy 34 off 27 balls.
That partnership was succeeded by a 52-run stand between Verreynne and Simmonds.
Simmonds, who faced eight deliveries, added an unbeaten 14 runs to the partnership as they raised Western Province to 173.
The trio's heroics made up for their top order's failings. Tony de Zorzi (23) got a start but failed to kick on, while Eddie Moore (9) and Jono Bird (11) barely got their eye in.
That batting show was backed up by a disciplined show from their bowlers.
THREE WICKETS FOR HENDRICKS
Beuran Hendricks gave Western Province control early into the Rocks' innings with a double strike in the Powerplay.
The left-armer finished with three wickets for 18 runs in four overs.
Hendricks's early wickets saw to it that the home side lost three wickets in a space of six deliveries.
Justin Ontong's side did not recover from that setback. Not even Ferisco Adams's lusty blows that lifted him to 34 off 23 could halt the procession of wickets and impending defeat.
The Rocks' last two victories papered over the Boland side's frailties with the bat.
Only Adams scored more than 15 runs, Adrian du Toit and Keegan Petersen scored 10 and 11 runs, while everyone else registered single-digit scores.
The Rocks' wins were built on the back of disciplined bowling. But, because Verreynne had carved their bowlers, they had no recourse.
ROCKS: Clyde Fortuin, Adrian du Toit, Aviwe Mgijima, Keegan Petersen, Michael Copeland, Ferisco Adams, Christiaan Jonker, Aya Gqamane, Imraan Manack, Glenton Stuurman, Siya Mahima.
WESTERN PROVINCE: Tony de Zorzi, Eddie Moore, Jono Bird, Kyle Verreynne (c), Valentine Kitime, George Linde, Juan James, Onke Nyaku, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks, Wesley Bedja.