Publications
Partners
Port Elizabeth - The Warriors earned themselves a home semifinal when they thumped the Cape Cobras by 19 runs in their Standard Bank Pro20 cricket match at St George's on Friday.
Led superbly by left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, who took a career-best three wickets for 10 runs in his four overs, the Warriors strangled the life out of the Cobras to restrict them to 153 for eight. The home side made an imposing 172 for five after being put in to bat earlier in the evening.
It was a professional performance by the MTN40 champions and one which stretched their lead at the top of the standings to six points with one pool match still to play.
There wasn't much to write home about in the Cobras' innings with only Vernon Philander (37 not out), Henry Davids (25) and Stiaan van Zyl (29) making any notable contributions.
Boje broke the back of the visitors' innings with his best performance of the season. He claimed the scalps of Davids, Justin Kemp and Rory Kleinveldt to beat his previous Twenty20 best of three for 14.
Earlier, the Warriors innings was rescued by a competition record partnership between captain Davy Jacobs and Justin Kreusch after a fairly average start.
The pair got together with the total at 31 for three in the seventh over and began resurrecting the innings. They reached 44 for three after nine overs and then set about tearing into the visiting attack.
The next four overs went for 11, 16, 15 and 13. They then took 25 runs off an over bowled by Justin Ontong to progress to 128 for three after 15 overs.
The partnership was broken Monde Zondeki in the next over when he had Jacobs caught on the deep square boundary by Richard Levi. But when the dust had settled, the duo had posted a fourth-wicket competition record stand of 97 runs off just 55 balls.
The previous best for the fourth wicket of 78 was set by Zander de Bruyn and Dane Vilas for the Highveld Lions against the Titans in Centurion earlier this season.
Jacobs made 56 off 30 balls and smashed five sixes and two fours while Kreusch was eventually out in the final over of the innings for 61 off 45 balls with five fours and two sixes.
Kreusch was caught at long-on by Stiaan van Zyl off the bowling of Vernon Philander, who also picked up the vital wicket of in-form batsman Colin Ingram (five). He finished with two for 29 while Zondeki was the best of the Cobras bowlers, taking 2/21.
The Cobras have completed their pool programme while the Warriors travel to Centurion for their final round-robin match against the Titans on Sunday.
