Port Elizabeth - The Chevrolet Warriors romped to a 10-wicket win over the Gestetner Diamond Eagles in their Standard Bank Pro20 semifinal second-leg replay at Sahara Oval St George's on Monday.

Chasing 102 for victory the Warriors scored 103 without loss with 47 balls of their innings remaining to take the best of three match series into a deciding game at the same ground on Wednesday.

A devastating opening stand between Justin Kreusch and Robin Peterson paved the way for the Warriors’ win with Peterson ending unbeaten on 49 off 31 balls while Kreusch scored 44 not out off 42 balls.

Peterson was in a particularly belligerent mood which was summed up neatly by his reverse-sweep for six off the bowling of off spinner Thandi Tshabalala.

The Eagles would have been disappointed in their fielding as they dropped three catches during the opening stand.

Earlier, Rusty Theron and Peterson shared six wickets as the Warriors bundled the Eagles out for 101.

Left-arm spinner Peterson finished with figures of three for 24 off four overs as he ripped the heart out of the Eagles’ middle-order while seamer Theron took a wicket at the top of the order before wrapping up the Eagles’ tail to claim the superb figures of three for 16 off four overs.

The Eagles won the toss and elected to bat but they were reduced to 20 for two after four overs with both opening batsman, Boeta Dippenaar and Adrian McLaren, back in the dug-out.

A third wicket partnership between Morne van Wyk (13) and Dean Elgar (24) of 33 steadied the Eagle’s ship for a time before Van Wyk was trapped leg-before by Peterson to leave the Eagles on 53 for three.

Peterson then clean bowled Ryan Bailey to pick up his second wicket as the Eagles slipped to 69 for four.

Elgar was the next to go, bowled by medium pacer Kreusch, and the Eagles’ innings lay in tatters on 75 for five.

Peterson’s third wicket, that of Ryan McLaren caught by Arno Jacobs at deep square-leg, saw the Eagles slump to 85 for seven before Theron, with two wickets, and left-arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe finished the Eagles off with one over of the visitor’s innings remaining.
Tsotsobe finished the innings with two for 23 off four overs.