Durban – An exciting 83 from 42 deliveries from Wihan Lubbe was not enough as the Durban Heat fell to a ten-run loss to the Cape Town Blitz in their Mzansi Super League clash at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead on Sunday.
The left-handers 83 became the highest score by a Durban Heat batsman in the Mzansi Super League.
Bowling first, the Heat took a few overs to settle into a rhythm but picked up the wickets of Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan inside the power play.
Marques Ackerman, Liam Livingston and Asif Ali pushed the Blitz towards the hundred run mark and beyond as the men from Cape Town racked up a formidable total in their twenty overs.
Andile Phehlukwayo picked up two wickets while Kyle Abbott returned figures of one for 29 in his four overs.
In the chase, Alex Hales fell for a duck in the first over of the innings.
Sarel Erwee and Lubbe put together 51 for the second wicket before the former was caught for sixteen.
Lubbe continued on his way to a fluent half century off just 26 deliveries with seven fours and five sixes.
Dave Miller then joined Lubbe and they also put on fifty off 28 balls but Lubbe fell with the score on 126 and the Heat’s chances started slipping.
Miller was then castled by Pakistani paceman Wahab Riaz for 23 and the Heat began to stutter under the pressure.
In the end the Heat fell ten runs short of the target, but captain Dane Vilas took a number of positives from the match.
“For our first game of the competition I was happy with a lot of aspects,” Vilas said. “We bowled well in patches and were maybe a bit rusty but that will improve.
“Wihan went in at a tough time in the innings after we lost a wicket in the first over and he showed no fear against an experienced bowling line-up.
“This is a small start for him in the competition and I think that he can flourish going forward.”
The Heat now hit the road when they travel to SuperSport Park to tackle the Tshwane Spartans on Thursday.
More information can be found at www.durbanheat.co.za
