All-Round Linde Brilliance Leads Six Gun Grill WP Home vs NW Dragons

December 2022

Six Gun Grill Newlands, Friday December 9th 2022

It took a gritty performance from Proteas and Western Province Hero George Linde to steer WP to their third successive 1 Day Cup win on Friday at Newlands.

Captain Wayne Parnell won the toss and opted to bowl first in the top-of-the-table clash. Conditions were overcast and blustery to begin with, as NW openers Wesley Marshall (22 off 21,2×4,1×6) and Lesego Senokwane (16 off 34,2×4) began brightly. After conceding a fire-breathing opening salvo of 41 runs in the first 6 overs, WP stalwart and Protea Beuran Hendricks (6-2-17-1) pegged NW back with the wicket of Marshall (43/1, 7.4ov). Determined to attack, the aggressive Marshall chipped one to a grateful Junaid Dawood at Mid-On.

Wickets fell at regular intervals, with the introduction of Linde (10-1-34-4) claiming Senokwane’s wicket (47/2, 10.4ov), to an excellent catch by wicketkeeper Daniel Smith (5 catches) from a sweeping top-edge. The WP attack then placed a strangehold on the NW batters. NW Captain and former Protea Heino Kuhn (20 off 20,3×4) fell to a quick Tsepho Moreki (7.1-0-27-3) body-hugger and was well caught by Smith down the leg side (74/3, 15.3ov). Grant Mokoena (7 off 19) succumbed to Linde (76/4, 16.6ov), while Shaylen Pillay (19 off 43,1×4) was bowled off the inside edge in “Golden-Arm” Mihlali Mpongwana‘s (5-1-17-1) first over (103/5, 26.2ov). Such was the dominance of the WP attack that NW only scored 22 runs between the 21st and 30th overs. This economy led by left-arm paceman Parnell (8-1-27-0), who only conceded 5 runs in his 4th to 8th overs.

Senuran Muthusamy (23 off 46) and top-scorer Christopher Britz (30 off 54,2×4,1×6) steadied the ship for NW, before Dawood (9-0-41-1) struck, with Muthusamy excellently caught by Linde at Third Man (142/6, 37.3ov). The reverse-sweeping Duan Jansen (18 off 15,2×4) and Britz threatened, but ultimately Linde had the last word, dismissing both. Britz out cutting (164/7, 40.6ov) and Jansen steepling a skyer to Mpongwana at Mid-off (169/8, 42.2ov). Britz became Linde’s 100th wicket in List A cricket when he edged it to Smith. This is a tremendous milestone in the career of one of the great servants of WP cricket. Moreki finished off tailenders Eldred Hawken (1 off 7), caught behind (171/9, 43.6ov) and Renaldo Meyer (3 off 11), bowled, to end the innings at 172 all out in the 46th over.

Chasing 173, Six Gun Grill WP struggled up-front, with Tony de Zorzi (16 off 28,2×4), Jono Bird (4 off 23) and Smith (0 off 2) falling early to disciplined and outstanding NW bowling. The attack was brilliantly led by Kerwin Mungroo (9-0-36-3) and Hawken (10-0-29-1), with Mungroo picking up the first three wickets of Bird (17/1, 7.4ov), de Zorzi (27/2, 9.1ov) and Smith (27/3, 9.3ov).

Yaseen Vallie (21 off 27,4×4) and Gavin Kaplan (44 off 40,5×4) combined to start the rescue mission for WP, and pushed the score to 74 before Vallie lost his wicket to the wily and parsimonious Muthusamy (10-1-34-2) in the 18th over. Dragon-slayer Linde (44no off 82,2×4) joined Kaplan, and the two maintained the momentum, before Kaplan was enticed into playing it back to bowler Muthusamy for his highest List A score. (111/5, 23.6ov)

“Popos” Mpongwana (6 off 20) and Parnell (3 off 14) chipped away at the total with Linde, until George combined with fellow left-hander Hendricks (17no off 22,1×4) in a partnership of 39* to take WP over the line.

Ultimately it was the all-round brilliance and determination of Man of the Match Linde that took the home team to a hat-trick of victories in the CSA 1 Day Cup series. Now entrenched at the top of the log, WP face a tough encounter against the Momentum Multiply Titans at Six Gun Grill Newlands on Sunday 11th December.