The Gbets Rocks were made to work hard but eventually clinched a decent four-wicket win over the AET Tuskers in a low-scoring bottom- of-the-table CSA T20 Challenge classic at Boland Park in Paarl on Friday night.
An incredible bowling performance from the Rocks' spinners had the Tuskers in an absolute spin as they restricted them to a paltry 94 all out batting first, before they were reduced to 75/6 in their chase before making it home safely.
The win sees the teams swop places at the bottom of the table, with the Rocks moving up a spot while the Tuskers slip to last place.
The Rocks chase was an absolute rollercoaster as they managed to score a lot more freely than the Tuskers, but lost regular wickets to keep the visitors well in the game throughout.
The first eight overs of the chase were bowled completely by the Tuskers' two pace spearheads Mbulelo Budaza, 3-39, and Keith Dudgeon, 1-20, as they chased the wickets needed to win the game.
Budaza seemed to get some good early swing, which helped him have Janneman Malan (1) caught by Cameron Sheckleton, while he also smashed Clyde Fortuin's (1) off stump out the ground and made a mess of Aviwe Mgijima’s (12) stumps, but he also bowled a few loose deliveries which were hit for boundaries.
Dudgeon had Michael Copeland (8) trapped LBW in his last over and by the end of eight overs the game was interestingly poised with the Rocks on 59/4.
Adrian du Toit (24) and Ferisco Adams (21) combined for essentially the game defining stand as they shared 28 for the fifth wicket, but both let themselves down as they allowed the Tuskers back in with lazy running, as they ran themselves out to leave their side on 75/6 in the 11th over.
Christiaan Jonker (10*) and Shaun von Berg (13*) however made sure there wouldn’t be any late-innings drama as they shared an unbeaten 21-run partnership to ease their side to 97/6 for a bonus point win in the 16th over.
BOUNDARY DROUGHT
At the start of play the Rocks won the toss and chose to bowl, which proved to be the right decision as amazingly just one boundary was hit in the Tuskers' entire innings.
Sheckleton showed just how tough scoring was as he was unable to hit a single boundary as he top scored for his team with 35 off 45 balls.
The Rocks' entire bowling department was miserly, but their trio of spinners impressed the most with Imraan Manack claiming figures of 3-17, Von Berg 2-15, and Siyabonga Mahima 1-22 in each of their allotment of four overs.
The Tuskers' innings got off to a poor start as Cameron Delport (1) aimed a booming drive at Manack in the second over, only to completely miss the ball and see his middle stump uprooted leaving them on 4/1.
Kagiso Rapulana (15) hit the only boundary of the innings in the fourth over off Manack, before a double strike in the next set them back as Von Berg bowled Rapulana and had Tian Koekemoer (1) caught by Copeland, leaving them on 23/3 after five overs.
Sheckleton ticked his innings along with singles and twos over the next overs, while Michael Erlank (4) was caught by Malan off the bowling of Mahima in the eighth, before the visitors limped to 46/4 at the halfway point.
The second half of the innings was more of the same as the batters just could not find the boundary while regular wickets continued to tumble.
Malcolm Nofal (8) was run out and Dudgeon (4) was bowled by Du Toit, leaving them on 56/6 in the 13th over.
Alindile Mhletywa (17) and Sheckleton then combined for the biggest partnership of the innings of 29 off 36 balls for the seventh wicket.
But in the 19th over Sheckleton guided the ball straight to Von Berg at short third man off Manack, followed by Thando Ntini (2) being bowled as they fell to 89/8.
The final over saw Mhletywa and Budaza (1) both run out, which summed up the Tuskers struggles rather nicely.
GBETS ROCKS: Janneman Malan, Adrian du Toit, Clyde Fortuin (capt, wk), Aviwe Mgijima, Michael Copeland, Ferisco Adams, Christiaan Jonker, Shaun von Berg, Imraan Manack, Glenton Stuurman, Siyabonga Mahima
AET TUSKERS: Cameron Delport, Kagiso Rapulana, Cameron Shekleton (wk), Michael Erlank (capt), Tian Koekemoer, Malcolm Nofal, Alindile Mhletywa, Keith Dudgeon, Smangaliso Nhlebela, Thando Ntini, Mbulelo Budaza.