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Scorer: Thilak Ram | Commentator: Rashad Mahbub
That wraps up all the action from this match! Head over to our coverage of the second game of today's double-header, starting shortly right here at the same venue. Until then, goodbye!
Player of the Match, Faf du Plessis: "[What's the secret to producing these Peter Pan performances?] There's a little water bottle in Cape Town. It's called the Secret Fountain that I keep going to drink water off the mountain there! No, I mean, it's just still wanting to play the game, wanting to perform, and wanting to put in the work to be at a level where I feel like I can be a high performer. Self-drive is probably the biggest thing for that and the most important reason. [What did you decide to do early on with the bat?] Yeah, it did feel very tricky. There was surprisingly steep bounce, almost like what you feel in a Test match when there's a lot of grass on the wicket and the ball is moving through the air, as well as up and down. The plan was really that it wasn't a wicket where you could slog. It was about playing really good cricket shots and hitting the ball late because of the bounce - you don't want to be reaching at the ball too much. I suppose it's the basics of Test and one-day cricket that give you the know-how to play in different scoring areas and read the pitch. Looking at the general information beforehand, we thought it was a bit on the slower side, but today felt much steeper.
[Were you pleased with 172?] Yes, I felt so. The only thing I was worried about during the powerplay was going three or four down because it did feel like one of those wickets. It was about holding back a little and making sure the communication was clear; even a 30-1 or 40-1 is a really good powerplay on a surface like that. As the ball gets a little softer and with the short side, you can really pick your options to attack, and that's how it played out. We felt there was an option to target the short side, but still score on the other side as well. So often at a ground like this, you completely focus on the short side and forget about the rest of the field. [Love scoring runs and taking blinders] Yeah, I love it. I'm still very driven to perform, like I said, and hopefully long may it continue. I'm still loving the game of cricket."
George Munsey: "[Lost the plot after a brilliant start with the ball] Honestly, I think so. With the short side and the breeze blowing toward it, I thought our bowlers did nicely - especially at the start with the way Tymal started and asked questions when there was a bit in the wicket. We probably didn't make the best use of that first go on the surface. [Was the chase difficult due to early wickets lost?] Yeah, obviously. When you lose wickets early, it makes chasing any score hard. I think the way Jimmy came out and played positively gave us hope, but we didn't really find anything else other than that. They bowled nicely, and we kept getting caught on the big side, which is disappointing.
[Mathematically, you're still in with a chance] Look, I keep going back to the experience, but we just have to turn up as a team, as a collective, and keep finding ways to enjoy it. Once you lose that enjoyment, it gets very difficult. The one thing I can say is that the guys have turned up every time to try their best, which has made it a lot easier from my end. [How enjoyable has this inaugural ETPL been?] It's been awesome. The Dutch leg was class, and coming here with the different flavors is really good. I think it's very important for European cricket, so long may it continue."
2:37 pm A quick start in the powerplay, driven by Henriques' sublime strokeplay on both sides of the wicket, gave Glasgow Cosmic early momentum. However, losing three wickets inside the first six overs completely derailed the chase. The procession continued as wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Just as Liam Livingstone began finding his rhythm with back to back boundaries off Nortje, he threw his wicket away in the very same over attempting a pull shot. Neesham provided a brief ray of hope with a display of power-hitting and inventive reverse sweeps, but his 17-ball 28 was cut short by Wiese - thanks to another spectacular airborne catch from Faf du Plessis. The Dockers delivered a disciplined bowling performance, leaning heavily on aggressive short-pitched tactics to unsettle the Cosmic lineup and prevent anyone from making a big score out there. Their fielding was equally sharp, holding onto brilliant chances and restricting runs. Nortje and van Beek were the primary architects with three wickets apiece, while Wiese claimed two and Moondra chipped in with one. Post-match presentations coming up next!
Rotterdam Dockers won by 31 runs
Ali Khan is the last batter in
