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Brilliant Breetzke and swashbuckling Swanepoel smash WP

football31 March 2024 11:58| © MWP
By:Brendon Atwell
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Matthew Breetke and Beyers Swanepoel combined for the Dafabet Warriors to demolish World Sports Betting Western Province by nine wickets and 21 balls to spare in a one-sided CSA T20 Challenge match at Boland Park in Paarl on Sunday.

Breetzke cracked five boundaries and two sixes from 48 balls to end unbeaten on 62 while Swanepoel, elevated up the order, cracked six maximums from just 20 balls to end unbeaten on 47 as the Warriors ended on 145 for one in reply to Western Province’s 142 for seven after Kyle Verrynne had won the toss and electing to bat first.

Breetzke was aggressive, yet composed as he and fellow opener, Jivehsan Pillay (31) added 80 for the opening stand from 66 deliveries to lay the platform.

Pillay struck three fours from 31 balls before being caught on the square-leg fence by Wayne Parnell from the bowling of spinner Kyle Simmonds (4-0-32-1).

With the departure of Pillay, one expected Andile Mokgakane to walk out to the crease after his unbeaten half-century against the DP World Lions on Wednesday, however, the call was made to send out Swanepoel and the left-hander did not disappoint.

Swanepoel cracked his first two deliveries for six and he ended the game the way he started, cracking back-to-back sixes off Mthiwekhaya Nabe (3.3-0-45-0) to open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table with their eighth consecutive victory.

The aggression of Swanepoel and the controlled aggression of captain Breetzke, added an unbeaten 65 runs for the second wicket from only 36 deliveries as the Warriors cemented their control of the CSA T20 Challenge.

WP LOSE WICKETS REGULARLY

Earlier, WP started brightly with Jonathan Bird (19) and Eddie Moore (23) adding 42 runs for the first wicket from 35 balls.

But once Bird departed, caught by Mokgakane on the square-leg fence from the bowling of Patrick Kruger (2-0-14-1), the rate fell away quickly.

Moore was next to go, clean-bowled by the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Siya Simetu (4-0-24-1) after striking just two boundaries in 20 balls.

WP lost wickets at regular intervals as Verreynne (15) was caught by Mokgakane in the deep from the bowling of Nealen van Heerden (4-0-25-2) while Valentine Kitime (20) sliced Alfred Mothoa (4-0-36-2) to Swanepoel at long-off.

Linde, who top-scored for Western Province, struck one four a six from 25 balls before being caught by Pillay at short fine-leg from Mothoa while Juan James (1) lasted just two balls.

Wayne Parnell (22 not out) struck one four and a six from 14 balls but was unable to push the home side beyond 150.

The Warriors looked to be playing on a completely different pitch to WP, with Province struggling to find the boundary on regular occasions but Breetzke and Swanepoel showed just how potent the Eastern Cape franchise are at the moment in the shortest format of the game.

Western Province, after losing their third game of the season, host the DP World Lions on Wednesday at Newlands while the Warriors next play on Friday when they host the Multiply Titans in Gqeberha.

WORLD SPORTS BETTING WESTERN PROVINCE: Eddie Moore, Jonathan Bird, Kyle Verreynne (capt, wk), Valentine Kitime, George Linde, Onke Nyaku, Juan James, Wayne Parnell, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks, Mthiwekhaya Nabe.

DAFABET WARRIORS: Matthew Breetzke (capt), Jiveshan Pillay, Andile Mokgakane, Jordan Hermann, SinitheQeshile (wk), Patrick Kruger, JP King, Beyers Swanepoel, Nealan van Heerden, Alfred Nothoa, Siya Simetu.

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