The Eastern Cape’s Iinyathi stormed into the CSA Division 2 One-Day Cup final after whipping the Mpumalanga Rhinos by six wickets in their qualifier at Buffalo Park on Wednesday.
Border’s senior men’s team will defend their title against the Knights in Kimberley on Sunday.
Half-centuries from Jason Niemand and Michael Copeland and a hundred-run partnership played a vital role in getting Iinyathi to their modest target of 179 with 13 overs remaining.
Copeland finished unbeaten on 59, while Niemand could not finish off at the other end, being removed for the same score.
But the job had already been done by the time he departed.
There was a slight wobble at the top in the chase after captain Nathan Roux (11) and Lihle Sizani (7) were removed by Jon Hinrichsen in the first five overs.
With dark clouds hovering around the stadium, there would have been concerns from the home team that they were behind on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern requirement of 39. They were 23 for two at that point.
Wian Ruthven and Niemand quickly accelerated matters as they pushed themselves ahead of the curve.
Once they had done that, it was one-way traffic for Iinyathi, although Ruthven was dismissed by Bryn Brokensha for 32.
Niemand and Copeland then combined for their 105-run partnership.
It was the bowlers who did the hard yards earlier. They reduced the Rhinos to 178 in 43 overs.
Yassar Cook, with 54, top-scored for the visitors, with three teammates in support, Ben Van Niekerk (32), Muhammed Mayet (27) and Zakir Kathrada (29).
The other batters could not get going, especially the middle and lower order, because of the pressure piled on by the Iinyathi attack.
The tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Nico van Zyl, initiated the Rhinos’ collapse.
He had Musa Twala caught at slip by Niemand in the first over. That allowed the accustomed stranglehold by Iinyathi to kick in during the powerplay.
Van Zyl and Chad Classen did the job again.
Classen had Kathrada caught behind by Roux and the Rhinos finished the first 10 overs on 40/2.
Mayet and Cook rebuilt the Rhinos’ innings despite being under the cosh. The pair shared a 71-run partnership.
It looked dangerous, as both batters looked settled, although they went about it slowly.
At the halfway stage of the innings there was a mix-up between the two batters, resulting in Mayet being run out by Kgaudi Molefe from backward point.
Cook stayed resolute and brought up his 11th half-century after 30 overs.
Van Zyl was brought back into the attack and immediately trapped the dangerous Cook leg-before-wicket with a slower ball.
Hermann Rolfes came and went as he was snapped up at mid-wicket by Alindile Mhletywa for six, leaving the Rhinos on 161 for five.
That opened the doors for Mhletywa and Thando Ntini to wrap up the tail.
They took the last five wickets.
Daily Dispatch
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