The Warriors beat the Cape Cobras by 15 runs at Buffalo Park in East London on Wednesday to book their spot in the CSA T20 Challenge final on Sunday against the Lions.
On our way to your ‘hood @LionsCricketSA . Looking forward to Sunday pic.twitter.com/IJFOQwioCO
— The Warriors (@WarriorsCrickEC) May 1, 2019
Rory Kleinvelt won the toss and put the Warriors in to bat saying that he backed his team to score whatever the Warriors posted.
Matthew Breetzke and Jon-Jon Smuts got the Warriors off to a great start before Smuts fell for 34(22) with the Warriors in command at 90/2. Breetzke fell 14 runs later for a brilliantly played 60(38) but the Warriors were still well positioned to push the 180 mark at 104/3 after 12 overs.
Sinetehmba Qeshile stood strong amidst a batting collapse which almost saw the Warriors struggle to get over 160 as he managed a useful 35(21). Andrew Birch and Sisanda Magala added some boundaries at the end to finish with a first innings score of 172/7 after 20.
Kleinveldt got himself four wickets on what became the last professional franchise match of his long career whilst JP Duminy bowled a tidy spell going for 25 in his four overs.
In response, David Bedinghamrose to the occasion as he was moved to the top of the order as him and Janneman Malan put on 35 runs in the first three overs before Malan fell. Duminy then fell for a duck before Kyle Verreynne steadied the ship with Bedinghamrose before the latter departed for a great knock of 73 in just 39 balls.
The game was still in the balance with the Cobras 112/3 at the time and Verreynne looking set. Lutho Sipamla then managed to get the key wicket of Verreynne shortly after Jason Smith had departed and not long after, Andrew Birch dismissed Aviwe Mgijima cheaply which swung the game towards the Warriors.
A big moment in the game came when Sipamla, while catching Kleinveldt in the deep, pulled up with a thigh injury and had to leave the field which meant he could not bowl the last over.
And so with 22 runs to defend, up stepped Onke Nyaku who held his nerve as he took one wicket and conceded just six runs to set up the 15 run victory.
The Warriors will now travel to Johannesburg where they will face the Lions in the final at the Bidvest Wanderers on Sunday
