Captain Matthew Breetzke kept the Warriors’ innings together to set up a comfortable win over Western Province. Photo: BackpagePix
Warriors captain Matthew Breetzke played a true captain’s knock on Thursday to guide the Warriors to an eight-wicket victory over Western Province and help the Gqeberha-based team maintain their unbeaten run in the Cricket SA T20 Challenge.
Coming into the clash against a strong Province side, Breetzke had been the off-form batter in the Warriors’ top order, as the 25-year-old had scored two consecutive single-digit scores coming into Thursday’s match.
However, the opening batter had just the right start this time around, smashing Province spinner Kyle Simmonds for two fours in the first over, a feat that the batter had not been able to achieve earlier in the tournament.
Breetzke and his troops were after a low but competitive target of 150 set by Province, who ended on 149-7.
And in such chases, one batter needs to play the anchor role, while giving the others the freedom to play their shots.
Breetzke kept the Warriors’ innings together in his unbeaten 42-ball 53 that included four fours and one six, which allowed Andile Mogakane (48) and Jordan Hermann (31*) to attack.
With this strategy, the Warriors chased down the target with 14 balls to spare and earned a fifth consecutive victory.
In the Province innings, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, spinner Siya Simetu, continued his good run of form with ball in hand as he took sparkling figures of 2-15 in his allotted four overs.
The left-arm orthodox opened his account with the big wicket of Eddie Moore (13).
Simetu delivered a straight arm-ball and sent Moore’s leg-stump cartwheeling, before he accounted for yet another set batter in Tony de Zorzi (20).
Province just could not recover from that point as the score read 62-4 after nine overs.
Despite a 54-run stand between George Linde (46) and Onke Nyaku (26), Province could only manage a total of 149-7 in 20 overs.
Patrick Kruger registered figures of 2-25 in four overs, while Beyers Swanepoel, Renaldo Meyer and Anrich Nortjé took a wicket apiece.
Nortje told Independent Newspapers that the Warriors remain unbeaten because different individuals in the team have been stepping up.
“I’ve been involved in only the home games, but the team has been really good and have been putting in the performances,” he said.
“It’s a great bunch of guys. Every game there’s someone else sticking up their hand, and it’s not just the same guys day in and day out.
“So, it’s really great to be in a team like this, and it’s great to see how the guys are stepping up, how they are thinking and training.”
The Warriors sit comfortably at the top of the log, while Province have slipped down to fourth place.