De Bruyn and Nel guide Easterns to victory over North West
Another solid batting performance by Pierre de Bruyn and a five-wicket haul from Andre Nel enabled Easterns to claim a comfortable 59-run victory over North West in their Standard Bank Cup match in Potchefstroom on Friday evening
15-Dec-2000
Another solid batting performance by Pierre de Bruyn and a five-wicket haul from Andre Nel enabled Easterns to claim a comfortable 59-run victory over North West in their Standard Bank Cup match in Potchefstroom on Friday evening.
Easterns won the toss and elected to bat first, putting on an impressive
total of 210 for nine wickets in their 45 overs.
North West were bowled out for 151 in 43.3 overs of yet another
rain-delayed match.
Easterns got off to an inauspicious start with the loss of openers Derek
Brand and Mike Rindel for no runs.
Rindel was the first wicket to fall with the score on a paltry 1-1 and
with his wicket coming off only the fourth ball of the match.
Derek Brand's wicket fell five balls later, and with Easterns' total not
much healthier at 2-1.
When Derek Crookes left the crease with the score at 7-3, it seemed as
though Potchefstroom's faithful were destined for an early evening.
But Deon Jordaan provided the first bit of stability to the Easterns
innings with his 49 runs, lifting the visitors to 103 for four.
However, it was young Pierre de Bruyn who again stood out for his team. Sensing the urgency, De Bruyn fired 68 runs off 92 balls, including six fours and one six, to provide the backbone of Easterns' innings. De Bruyn also weighed in with a useful bowling performance that saw him claim two wickets for 30 runs.
Lower down the Easterns batting order, De Bruyn's teammates seemed to
feed of his form.
Kenny Benjamin was looking good on 21 runs off only 23 balls before he
was dismissed, and Graeme Pollock also added a quickfire 34 off 28 balls
before being sent back to the changeroom.
The start to the North West innings was equally dismal. The home team
were reeling at 30 for five as Andre Nel sunk his teeth into some poor
batting by the hosts.
The Easterns paceman, who bowled a superb line and length, finished the
match with figures of 5-27 in his 8.3 overs.