Northern Cape Heat beat Eastern Cape Inyhati in CSA T20 Knockout clash
The Northern Cape Heat clinched a thrilling 17-run victory over the Eastern Cape Inyathi in their CSA T20 Knockout competition match at the Kimberley Diamond Oval on Wednesday.
Coming off a recent 18-run win against Mpumalanga, the Heat were confident, but the start of their innings was anything but smooth.
Batting first, the Heat quickly found themselves in trouble. Modiri Litheko was dismissed for just seven runs after eight balls, followed by Ronan Hermann, who managed only 10 before being dismissed.
Cole Abrahams added 11 runs before suffering the same fate. With the team at 30/3, the Heat desperately needed a partnership to salvage their innings.
Captain Ruan Haasbroek stepped onto the pitch but faced an unfortunate dismissal, departing for a duck. His visible frustration as he left the field reflected the mounting pressure on his team.
However, the game turned when CP Klijnhans took the crease. In a standout performance, Klijnhans anchored the Heat’s innings with a brilliant 76 not out from 46 balls, smashing eight fours and three sixes. His resilient knock gave the Heat the boost they needed. Romano Terblanche contributed 15 runs, and Tshepo Ntuli added 16, pushing the Heat’s total to a competitive 158/8.
Defending their total, the Heat’s bowlers delivered under pressure. Captain Haasbroek, looking to redeem his earlier batting struggles, shone with the ball, taking three wickets (3/30). Basheer Walters (3/22) matched his captain’s effort, also taking three wickets, as the Heat's bowlers kept the Inyathi batters in check.
Despite their early momentum, the Inyathi team could not chase down the target in time, falling short by 17 runs.
The Northern Cape Heat will now head off to face Kwazulu-Natal Inland, leaving on Thursday for the game scheduled for Saturday, riding high on the back of this hard-fought victory.
