Chevrolet Warriors victorious in MTN40 series

EAST LONDON - In a spectacular game of cricket the Chevrolet Warriors took victory in the MTN40 2009/2010 series final against the Nashua Dolphins at Buffalo Park in East London on Friday. 

Winning the toss and electing to bat, the Chevrolet Warriors put on a very competitive score of 299/4 in their 40 overs.  The Nashua Dolphins did their best to chase down the Warriors' total, but could only reach 228 before being bowled out in the 37^th over.   The Chevrolet Warriors won the game by 71 runs to bring home the first major series victory for the Eastern Cape in 18 years.

Chevrolet Warriors captain, Davy Jacobs, was elated about his team's performance.  "This is a very special moment for us.  We've worked hard to reach this point and have faced disappointments in the past, but today it all came together.  I'm extremely proud to be the captain of the Chevrolet Warriors, and I'm honoured to be a part of the Warriors team," Jacobs said.   

For the Chevrolet Warriors, Ashwell Prince led from the front making his maiden century in limited overs matches and in the process securing the MTN40 Man of the Match award.  Jacques Kallis once again showed his class as a batsman when he punished the Nashua Dolphins' bowlers near the end of the Warriors' innings, hitting 87 off only 57 balls. 

Although it looked to be a challenging score for the Nashua Dolphins to reach, the Chevrolet Warriors' bowlers played good attacking cricket to keep the pressure on the Dolphins' batsmen.  Lonwabo Tsotsobe picked up three early wickets leaving the Dolphins on 36/3 after 6.5 overs.  A brave fight back came in the form of Hashim Amla's 68 off 69 balls, as well as Dale Benkenstein's knock of 63 off 67.  Benkenstein's unusual dismissal by hitting his own wicket signalled the start of a collapse in the Dolphins' batting, while the Warriors used the opportunity to focus their bowling efforts.  The Dolphins' last five wickets fell for only 33 runs.  Wayne Parnell was the most successful bowler for the Warriors, ending with excellent figures of 3/27 in seven overs.

The MTN40 series win is the first major victory for the Chevrolet Warriors since the establishment of the franchise six years ago.