Rocks stun Warriors in Paarl

A disciplined Gbets Rocks performance saw them stun the Dafabet Warriors with a five-wicket victory in their crucial CSA T20 Challenge Clash in Paarl on Sunday.

Chasing 128 for victory, Keegan Petersen hit 33 and two important contributions from Aviwe Mgijima and Shaun von Berg saw the Rocks reach their target with 18 balls to spare.

A smart bowling performance by the home side saw them dismantle the Warriors and restrict them to 127/8 in their 20 overs.

In pursuit of the modest total, Aiden du Toit fell for a duck off the second ball of the innings bowled by Beyers Swanepoel.

However, Von Berg and skipper Clyde Fortuin added 54 runs for the second wicket, breaking the back of the chase before both men were removed within the space of two overs bowled by Siya Simetu, having scored 21 and 29 respectively.

The Rocks lost two more wickets, that of Mgijima for 29 and Petersen, who faced 32 balls for his 33 runs, to Alfred Mothoa and Swanepoel, as Ferisco Adams, playing in his 100th T20 match, was in the middle to watch the winning runs being scored in the final embers of the match.

Simetu and Swanepoel finished with figures of 2-21 and 2-28 respectively, while Mothoa grabbed 1-29 from his four over ration.

Two wickets each by part-time spinner Christiaan Jonker and Siyabonga Mahima coupled with a wicket each by Von Berg, Adams, Du Toit and Stuurman, saw the home side strangle the away side into submission.

JONKER AND MAHIMA AMONG THE WICKETS 

After winning the toss and asking the Warriors to bat first, Stuurman removed Jiveshan Pillay caught and bowled off the first ball of the innings, before skipper Matthew Breetzke and Jordan Hermann put on 59 for the second wicket.

Jonker then got rid of Hermann (26) and Andile Mokgakane (0) off consecutive deliveries in the ninth over as the Warriors slipped to 59/3.

Breetzke fell for 48 off 34 after sharing 25 runs with Sinethemba Qeshile (13), the pair falling to Mahima and Von Berg respectively.

JP King was out caught off the bowling of Du Toit for 20, while Swanepoel (6) and Liam Alder (7) fell to Mahima and Adams in the final two overs.

Jonker claimed 2-21 from two overs, while Mahima returned with 2-21 from four overs.