Breetzke, Cloete blitz Lions

Matthew Breetzke and Gihahn Cloete blitzed half centuries as the Warriors thumped the bizhub Highveld Lions by nine wickets in their CSA T20 Challenge fixture at Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

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Set 145 for victory, Breetzke (72 not out) and Cloete (54) were imperious as they shared a brutal 107-run stand for the first wicket in only 10.5 overs to propel their team to the bonus-point victory with 33 balls to spare.

ICYMI | WARRIORS DOMINATE

At the Bullring, the ?? ran into the belligerent opening pair of Matthew Breetzke and Gihahn Cloete who muscled their side to a nine-wicket bonus point victory yesterday.

Is Breetzke/Cloete’s 107-run opening stand the best in the tourney thus far? pic.twitter.com/FLC8RI4xYS

— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) April 25, 2019

Lions captain Temba Bavuma tried all of his bowling options but each one of them disappeared even quicker than they were introduced. Cloete belted seven fours and two sixes in his 33 balls and was eventually bowled while trying to sweep spinner Bjorn Fortuin.

Breetzke continued the good work after Cloete's departure and went to his fifty with a boundary off Migael Pretorius in the 12th over. It was only his second half century in this format of the game.

He took his team to victory with a flick off his pads for six off the bowling of Malusi Siboto. His 45-ball innings included five fours and four sixes and skipper Jon-Jon Smuts was unbeaten with him on 11 at the end.

Earlier, a face-saving sixth-wicket partnership between Dwaine Pretorius and Nono Pongolo enabled the Lions to post 144 for six.

The pair came together at 61 for five at the start of the 13th over and started off watchfully before kicking on during the death overs to score a valuable 68 runs off only 42 deliveries.

Pretorius top scored with a 27-ball innings of 48 not out that included six fours and two sixes while Pongolo was eventually run out for 33 made from 22 deliveries.

Reeza Hendricks made 29 for the home team and Temba Bavuma added 24 but the remainder of their batting struggled to get out of first gear until the Pretorius-Pongolo show arrived.

Smuts was the most economical of the Warriors bowlers, taking 1-22 in four overs.

BIZHUB HIGHVELD LIONS: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma (capt), Wihan Lubbe, Dwaine Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin, Aaron Phangiso, Malusi Siboto, Migael Pretorius, Nono Pongolo.

WARRIORS:Jon-Jon Smuts (capt), Gihahn Cloete, Matthew Breetzke, Sinethemba Qeshile (wk), Marco Marias, Onke Nyaku, Jade de Klerk, Andrew Birch, Lutho Sipamla, Sisanda Magala, Sithembile Langa