Veenstra's bag of six helps Natal beat Gauteng
In a match that had just about everything, including a Ross Veenstra hat trick (he took 6-34 overall) against his old province, the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins beat their traditional rivals Gauteng by seven wickets with 14 balls to spare before 5 500
Patrick Compton
06-Mar-2000
In a match that had just about everything, including a Ross
Veenstra hat trick (he took 6-34 overall) against his old
province, the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins beat their traditional
rivals Gauteng by seven wickets with 14 balls to spare before 5
500 excited spectators at Kingsmead last night. The victory kept
alive the Dolphins' hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of
the Standard Bank Cup. Their last pool match, against Eastern
Province in Port Elizabeth tomorrow, will settle the issue. For
Gauteng, whose record-breaking run of eight consecutive victories
was broken, the defeat was academic as they have already
qualified.
The nature of last night's match was determined by the very
similar tempo of both innings. Both teams enjoyed a productive
first 25 overs, then they both lost momentum.
KwaZulu-Natal enjoyed an excellent opening partnership of 112
between Doug Watson and Mark Bruyns chasing Gauteng's score of
197-8, but once Bruyns had departed, the scoring slowed as the
softer ball came on more slowly and made strokes more difficult
to execute.
First Jon Kent and then Watson perished trying to push the score
along, and things suddenly began looking a little sticky for the
home team. It was at this crucial stage that the experience of
Andrew Hudson and a typically impish Jonty Rhodes came to the
rescue as the two veterans added a brisk 62 to see the Dolphins
home.
Rhodes, in particular, looked full of confidence, playing two
astounding reverse sweeps off left-arm spinner Neil Fusedale who
had commanded a great deal of respect from the batsmen to that
point. The first, a full-blooded smash, went for a one-bounce
four backward of point; the second, to a fuller delivery, was
delicately guided into the third man area for three. Earlier,
Gauteng were looking odds on for a 240 total after skipper Eldine
Baptiste won the toss and put the visitors in to bat. This was
due to the destructive Ken Rutherford who quickly announced his
arrival for what might be his last competitive innings at
Kingsmead, driving Baptiste for three fours in one over.
On a superb pitch for batting, Rutherford - in sublime form - and
Adam Bacher almost effortlessly added 91 in 111 balls for the
second wicket without looking remotely troubled. However, after
going to an electrifying 50 in 47 balls, he contrived to miss a
straight one from fifth bowler Mark Bruyns.
But, after tenderising the Dolphins' attack for what looked like
a feast of runs, Gauteng failed to tuck in when it mattered. Man
of the Match Veenstra, obviously, had a lot to do with it,
bowling a double wicket-maiden that saw off Bacher (54) and
Geoffrey Toyana at the beginning of his second spell. And then, a
tumultuous last over saw Zander de Bruyn, Nic Pothas and Dean
Laing departing in consecutive balls as they slogged for glory.
It was "The Moose's" second hat trick against Gauteng, and it
couldn't have come at a better time for his province.