Lonestar Linde a thorn in Warriors side

George Linde stood tall with a wonderful unbeaten half-century as World Sports Betting Western Province hobbled to 148 for seven in a crucial CSA T20 Challenge match against the Dafabet Warriors at World Sports Betting Newlands in Cape Town on Friday evening.

Linde gave impetus to the innings with a whirlwind 66 from only 31 balls, including cracking 26 runs from the final over bowled by Patrick Kruger (4-0-56-0). Linde struck just two boundaries in his innings but smashed six maximums, one of which was to bring up his fifty from only 28 balls.

The Warriors, who were asked to bowl first after Beuran Hendricks had won the toss, had the home side under a heavy blanket of steel as Beyers Swanepoel (4-0-15-2), CJ King (4-0-27-3) and Alfred Mothoa (4-0-30-2) put the skids under Province’s effort.

King made the early breakthrough, having the dangerous Eddie Moore (2) trapped in front with his first ball. Valentine Kitime struggled to adjust to the pace of the wicket, managing just a single four from 22 balls before being caught on the square-leg fence by Tristan Stubbs for just 17.

Jonathan Bird, who managed three fours, went for a big heave-ho only to be cleaned-up by Swanepoel. Linde joined Kyle Verreynne (18) at the crease and suddenly the Province innings started picking up pace. The pair, thanks mainly to Linde, added 32 for the fourth wicket from only 20 balls before Verreynne top-edged a ball from Mothoa to be caught by wicketkeeper Sinethemba Qeshile.

Linde was then man alone as Mihlali Mpongwana (10), Abdullah Bayoumy (5) and Kyle Simmonds (0) all fell by the way side in quick succession. Swanepoel accounted for Mpongwana, who was excellently caught on the long-off fence by Stubbs, who only just returned from the UAE on Tuesday.

King then bagged a brace in as many balls, first having Bayoumy caught at deep mid-wicket by Kruger and then having Simmonds brilliantly caught by a diving Matthew Breetzke running around from mid-off.

However, Linde would have the final say in the innings as the spinning allrounder clubbed three consecutive sixes to give the home side a chance at defending a par-score on a fresh Cape Town evening.

WORLD SPORTS BETTING WESTERN PROVINCE – Eddie Moore, Jonathan Bird, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Valentine Kitime, Mihlali Mpongwana, George Linde, Abdullkah Bayoumy, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks (capt), Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Wesley Bedja. 

DAFABET WARRIORS – Matthew Breetzke (capt), Jiveshan Pillay, Sinethemba Qeshile (wk), Tristan Stubbs, JP King, Senuran Muthusamy, Patrick Kruger, Beyers Swanepoel, CK King, Siya Simetu, Alfred Mothoa.