Deepak Sharma
E-mail: spacewalker008@gmail.com
Jodhpur, India, 22-09-2024: Morne van Wyk’s explosive century powered Gujarat Greats to their first win in the Legends League 2024, defeating Toyam Hyderabad by 8 wickets with 3 balls to spare.
After winning the toss, Toyam Hyderabad’s openers Chadwick Walton and George Worker got off to a modest start. Worker was dismissed for 13 off 8 balls, and Walton followed soon after with 17 off 12 balls, falling to Liam Plunkett. With the score at 36/3 in 4.2 overs, Toyam Hyderabad was under pressure. Skipper Suresh Raina and Rikki Clarke steadied the innings, adding 46 runs for the fourth wicket. Raina played a crucial knock of 44 off 27 balls, while Clarke contributed 15 off 17 balls. Gurkeerat Singh Mann chipped in with 27 from 19 balls. At the death, Peter Trego’s unbeaten 36 off 25 balls helped Toyam Hyderabad reach a total of 172/7 in their 20 overs.
For Gujarat Greats, Liam Plunkett (2/25), Manan Sharma (2/37), and Seekkuge Prasanna (2/28) were the standout bowlers, while Shannon Gabriel also took a wicket.
In response, Gujarat Greats’ chase was anchored by Morne van Wyk, who opened the innings alongside skipper Shikhar Dhawan. The pair put on a strong 83-run partnership for the first wicket before Dhawan was dismissed for 21 off 20 balls by Gurkeerat Singh Mann. Van Wyk then formed another key partnership with Lendl Simmons, adding 63 runs for the second wicket. Simmons contributed 20 off 18 balls before getting out.
Morne van Wyk continued his fine form, reaching a magnificent century and finishing unbeaten on 116* off 69 balls, guiding Gujarat Greats to victory. Yashpal Singh also remained not out, scoring 13* off 11 balls, as Gujarat Greats comfortably chased down the target of 173.
For Toyam Hyderabad, Isuru Udana (1/24) and Gurkeerat Singh Mann (1/17) were the only bowlers to pick up wickets, but the rest of the bowling attack struggled to contain Gujarat’s batters.