The Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers had an uphill battle for their first two fixtures in the Cricket South Africa Division 2 Twenty/20 challenge.
After their first match against the Mpumalanga Rhinos, scheduled for 21 September, was abandoned due to rain, they suffered back-to-back defeats in their next two matches.
The Badgers had a sound start against Easterns at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on 24 September with and opening partnership of 70 between the captain Yaseen Vallie (58 from 43 balls; 2×6, 5×4) and Keenan Vieira (50 from 38 balls; 1×6, 7×4) but the visitors lost momentum in their middle order and ended on 164/4 despite a blistering 39 (24 balls; 2×6, 4×4) by Heath Richards.
Thanks to a match winning opening stand of 133 runs between Kabelo Sekhukhune (84 from 55 balls; 4×6, 9×4) and Christopher Brits (35 from 25 balls; 3×4) the Eastern Storm reached the target (167/7) after 18,3 overs for a 3-wicket victory.
In their home fixture, at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn on Saturday against the defending champions, Limpopo Impalas, the Badgers again had a fifty-runs opening partnership – 72 runs – between Vieira (58 from 40 balls; 1×6, 9×4) and Kyle Jacobs (33 from 31 balls; 1×6, 9×4).
The middle order again struggled, and the home side was restricted to a mediocre 146/8. Eldred Hawken (3/18 in 4 overs) and Don Radebe (3/17 in 4 overs) both bowled magnificent spells for the Impalas.
The Limpopo Impalas cruised to a comfortable bonus point victory when they reached the winning target (150/4 after 15,5 overs).
The Badgers are confronted with various injuries, but they need to record victories in their next two matches to remain in contention for a place in the semi-finals.
On Wednesday, 2 October, they will host the undefeated Tuskers at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn and on Saturday 5 October they will take on the Eastern Cape Iianyathi in East London.
Uphill Battle for Garden Route Badgers
Keenan Vieira Photo: Supplied