Superbly controlled left-arm spin from Captain George Linde played the pivotal role for the YesPlay Western Province Cobras as they defeated the WSB Eastern Storm by nine-wickets in the CSA T20 Challenge match at Newlands on Tuesday night.
Linde opened the bowling, removed both openers, and finished with 2-15 from his four overs to apply an immediate handbrake to the Easterns innings as they stumbled to a total of 130-7.
Easterns captain Christopher Britz ground out 38 from 36 balls while Dewan Marais found it no less difficult with 40 from 35 deliveries, both managing just three fours and six against seamer Tshepo Moreki whose four overs cost a miserly 16 runs.
WP’s second left arm spinner, Asakhe Tsaka, returned a tidy 4-0-24-1 with only leg spinner Josh Breed taking any punishment conceding 41 from his four overs.
The home side romped to victory in just 15.5 overs to claim a bonus point with opener Jiveshan Pillay finishing unbeaten on 60 from 40 balls (3x4, 3x6) and Joshua van Heerden finishing the job with 40 not out from 26 balls after Kashief Josephs was stumped for 31.
The result moves the Cobras into second place in Pool B with three wins and 13 points from four games, one point behind the mighty Titans who have 14 points from just three games.
Easterns have just two points from their first two games with the first having been rained off.