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The Chevrolet Warriors got their CLT20 campaign underway in style today at Centurion with a comprehensive 7-wicket victory over Sri Lankan outfit, the Wayamba Elevens. Wayamba, though pegged back at the start of their innings by Rusty Theron, managed a challenging score of 153 thanks to a fighting half-century from Jeevantha Kulatunga although that proved to be not enough in the ultimate analysis as a collective effort from the Warriors batsmen ensured a smooth chase. Mark Boucher finished the game in style with a 26-ball 40 late in the innings, ensuring that both host sides of the tournament made winning starts to their respective campaigns.

Having won the toss, Wayamba skipper Jehan Mubarak elected to bat first, a logical decision considering the Lankan outfit went in with three spinners. Kaushal Lokuarachchi joined Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis in the side, which was otherwise on expected lines. The Warriors too had two quality spinners in their side in Nicky Boje and Johan Botha, with Davey Jacobs naming a predictable XI.

Jacobs opened proceedings with Theron and the bowler, considered a specialist operator at the death, didn't have to wait that long to make an impact. Wayamba were left licking their wounds with the score at 2/2 at the end of his first over, with influential batsman Mahela Jayawardene back in the hutch for a duck! While Jayawardene was done in by an away swinger which took the edge off the bat on its way to second slip, Mahela Udawatte was guilty of playing a poor pull shot for Boje to take a good catch at mid on.

Left with his skipper Mubarak, Jeevantha Kulatunga decided to counter-attack and boy, he did it with some gusto! Starting with a wild slog off Lonwabo Tsotsobe, he singled out the pacer for some special treatment pulling and jabbing his way to 15 runs off the 4th over. Ntini was then welcomed with a pulled boundary as Wayamba capped off a mini-recovery at 36/2 off 5 overs. Tsotsobe came back well in the 6th over to give only 3 runs and though Ntini kept bowling the odd bad ball, the arrival of the spinners calmed things down a bit.

Nicky Boje removed the struggling Mubarak (9 off 16 balls) with the batsman presenting long-off with an easy chance to leave his team at 50/3. That did nothing to slow down the run-rate though, as Kulatunga, now joined by an equally adventurous Kushal Perera, went on the rampage. A slog-swept six of Boje later, Kulatunga hit the bowler over his head for a boundary before Perera came to the party with a superb six over deep midwicket. Botha, the most economical bowler on view, was also taken to the cleaners as Perera continued with his refreshing, clean hitting style.

Such was the impact of these two that Wayamba, at a modest 64/3 after 10 overs, had moved on to a threatening 110/3 after 14 overs. Kulatunga reached a richly deserved fifty with a single off Ntini and though Perera smashed the bowler for a six the very next ball, Ntini was unlucky as skipper Jacobs put down a tough chance off Kulatunga in the same over. Kulatunga finally fell for 59 mis-hitting a shot off Tsotsobe and was followed back in the pavilion an over later by Perera, with Theron claiming his crucial wicket for 39.

With both big-hitters back in the hutch, the Warriors sensed an opportunity to go for the kill and though both Lokuarachchi and Thisara Perera delivered some lusty blows, the Warriors kept picking up wickets at regular intervals to restrict Wayamba to 153/9 in the end.

With a required run rate of over 7.5, the Warriors required a steady hand from Ashwell Prince and though the opener began with a couple of creative boundaries, he over improvised, backing away a little too far against Welegedara, with the latter pegging back the middle stump with a fuller one.

Skipper Jacobs was soon joined by a superb driver in Colin Ingram though, and the duo put the loss of Prince behind them quickly to get going with the chase. Boundaries came in thick & fast as both Ingram and Jacobs played freely, and even when Ajantha Mendis was introduced inside the powerplay, Jacobs managed a couple of fours off the wily spinner through a packed off-side field. Thanks to the good work from these two, the Warriors had knocked off 54 runs by the time the powerplay was over.

Mendis got Wayambe back in the game by outfoxing Jacobs, who was bowled for 26 trying to go for another cut. Ingram continued strongly at the other hand though, pulling Perera for successive boundaries before new man Justin Kreusch repeated the feat an over later. With the going getting increasingly easier, Ingram pressed the self-destruct button in the 11th over when he jumped out to Herath, only managing to sky the ball high for Mubarak to take a well judged catch.

In came Mark Boucher and with the spinners keeping things tight, the game was looking far from over. Boucher though, has made a habit of rescuing his side and he did just that, launching into Lokuarachchi to effectively break the game open in the 14th over. Boucher jumped out of his crease to launch Lokuarachchi behind long on for a six off the fourth ball before the bowler dropped the next two balls short and was punished for ten more.

With just 33 runs required off the last six overs, Kreusch did the smart thing of rotating the strike, while Boucher ensured a boundary almost every over as the Warriors hurtled along towards the target. Kreusch finished proceedings with a stylish boundary to short fine-leg as the Warriors completed a comprehensive victory, with ten deliveries to spare.

The Chevrolet Warriors now take on Australian outfit Victoria Bushrangers on Monday, and they would go into the tough fixture with their confidence sky-high after a superb win. Wayamba on the other hand, have a three day break before they take on IPL champions Chennai Super Kings in a game they must win to keep their hopes alive in the tournament.

Teams:

Wayamba Elevens: Kulatunga, Jayawardene, Mubarak (c), Perera, Maharoof, Lokuarachchi, Udawatte, Thisara Perera, Herath, Mendis, Welegedara

Warriors: Prince, Kreusch, Ingram, Boucher, Jacobs (c), Botha, Thyssen, Boje, Tsotsobe, Theron, Ntini

Mini Scorecard:

Wayamba 153/9 (20 overs, 7.65 rpo)

Kulatunga 59(44)          Theron 3/23
Perera 39 (24)               Ntini 2/34

Warriors 156/3 (18.2 overs, 8.50 rpo)

Boucher 40 (26)           Herath 1/18
Kreusch 37 (29)            Mendis 1/25

Result: Warriors won by 7 wickets

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