Gqamane stars in Warriors win
by Jason Pearce 05 January 2013, 17:10
Ayabulela Gqamane claimed a match-winning six for 40 off 13.2 overs after lunch on day three to bowl the Nashua Titans out for just 204 and set up a 10-wicket victory for the Chevrolet Warriors in their Sunfoil Series match at Supersport Park in Centurion on Saturday.
Full Scorecard – Titans v Warriors
In a dramatic afternoon session, the home side collapsed from 123 for 1 at lunch to 204 all out on the stroke of tea, leaving a victory target of just 13 runs for Warriors openers Davy and Arno Jacobs to knock off for victory, which they did in 14 balls.
The win moves the Warriors to within five points of series leaders the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras, as the visitors claimed 18.76 points from the match to move them up to 74.38 points on the Sunfoil Series log.
Under an overcast Pretoria sky, the rot started in the sixth over after lunch, when Pieter Malan added just two to his lunchtime score before being bowled by Chris Jonker for a well-played 55, with eight boundaries.
Gurshwin Rabie had Henry Davids caught in the 43rd over by Davy Jacobs for 36, which included five boundaries, before Jonker struck again in the 48th over, Heino Kuhn caught by first innings batting hero, Gqamane for just five.
"Aya", as he is known to his teammates, wasted no time getting in on the act, dismissing Roelof van der Merwe for two in the 51st over, caught by Simon Harmer.
The 53rd over however, was disastrous for the Titans, with Gqamane bowling Farhaan Behardien for 13, and dismissing Liebisch for a first-ball duck, caught by Rabie.
David Wiese swung three balls to the boundary, but it was too little, too late, as Gqamane's destructive spell took care of him for 16, caught by Harmer.
Then Gqamane bowled Mbhalati for a duck, and finally bowled Paul Harris (3) to bring an end to the Titans' innings.
After bowling the visitors out for 413 at the close of play on day two, a lead of 191, the Titans had moved relatively painlessly to 123 for 1 at lunch - still 68 runs adrift with nine second-innings wickets remaining.
An steady opening 76-run partnership between Mangaliso Mosehle and Pieter Malan was broken in the 21st over when Rabie had Mosehle caught behind by keeper Adrian McLaren for 47, which included six fours and a six.
Henry Davids joined Malan in the 21st over and together the pair put on a lively 47-run partnership off ten overs before lunch.
Gqamane added a brilliant, late-innings 86-run blitz on day two and together with Simon Harmer, the pair put on a 129-run partnership for the 9th wicket, which saw the visitors power to 413 all out at the close of play on day two.
Gqamane was the brilliant aggressor - facing 89 balls and striking 11 fours and two sixes in his 109-minute stay at the crease.
The foundation was laid earlier in the day after a superb, fighting knock of 105 from Arno Jacobs in blisteringly hot conditions saw the visitors go to tea at 247 for 7, a lead of just 25 runs with three wickets remaining.
The home side won the toss on Thursday and decided to bat first, and were dismissed for 222 in their first innings. Roelof van der Merwe top scored with 51, with contributions from Behardien who made 39 and David Wiese's 35 proving invaluable.
Report Day 1
Report Day 2
TEAMS:
NASHUA TITANS: Pieter Malan, Mangaliso Mosehle, Henry Davids (capt), Farhaan Berhardien, Heino Kuhn (w/k), David Wiese, Roelof van der Merwe, Shaun Liebisch, CJ de Villiers, Paul Harris, Ethy Mbhalati.
CHEVROLET WARRIORS: Michael Price, Davy Jacobs (capt), Arno Jacobs, Ashwell Prince, Colin Ingram, Christiaan Jonker, Adrian McLaren (w/k), Simon Harmer, Basheer Walters, Ayabulela Gqamane, Gurshwin Rabie.
