Dewald Brevis struck a superb unbeaten century – his third ton in just 14 first-class matches – to enable the Momentum Multiply Titans to reach 337-5 in 94.2 overs at the close of the second day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at a sunny, but blustery Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.
The entire first day’s play was lost due to a damp outfield.
Brevis, who finished on 129 in 143 balls, including eight fours and six sixes, made his first-class debut against the Dolphins at this ground in February/March last year, scoring two and six in a seven-wicket defeat.
Since then he has largely excelled in the white-ball game and he showed in his latest innings that he has the talent and the temperament to impress at the highest level.
The 21-year-old prodigy, dubbed “baby AB”, came to the crease on 107 for two in the 42nd over after his captain, Neil Brand, had departed for 43.
Brand and fellow opener Josh van Heerden (52) had given the team an “old school” start of 97 in 38 overs in the 150-minute opening session to provide the innings with a sturdy foundation after Dolphins captain Sarel Erwee had won the toss and chosen to put his opponents in to bat.
There were no demons in the pitch on a cloudless day that rather suggested a “bat first” decision.
At any rate, the Titans' openers cruised conservatively through the morning session with hardly any concerns, barring one dropped catch at short leg when Slade van Staden failed to hang on to a firm push from Van Heerden off the bowling of off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen, who came on to bowl before the end of the first hour.
The Titans were in danger of throwing this advantage away in the first hour after lunch when they lost four wickets for 42 runs with Dolphins’ debutant Banele Cele getting rid of Brand (leading edge to midwicket) and Keegan Petersen (edge to keeper), while Okuhle Cele saw off Van Heerden (caught slip) and the other paceman, Daryn Dupavillon, claimed the scalp of Jhedley van Briesies (leg before).
DAY BELONGS TO BREVIS
Meanwhile, Brevis had started explosively, nearly taking the umpire’s head off at square leg as he belted his first ball for four.
Thereafter he was a little tentative against the two Cele pacemen before hitting his straps, playing a succession of commanding cover drives and clips off his legs.
He went to his fifty in remarkable style in the 61st over when he pulled and straight-drove Smuts for consecutive sixes before adding a third maximum for good measure immediately afterwards.
He reached his landmark in 65 balls and as his new partner Rivaldo Moonsamy settled in, the Titans scored increasingly freely.
The pair took their partnership to 82 at tea with the total on 221-4, and they continued to punish the home team’s bowlers, with left-arm spinner Bryce Parsons the one to suffer the most, being taken for 53 in just seven overs.
Brewis, who took a particular liking to him, reached his hundred with another thunderous on-drive, reaching the mark in only 105 balls, including eight fours and five sixes.
The hundred partnership came up in 125 balls and was only ended when Moonsamy, on 48 (93 balls, 6x4s), tried to pull a delivery from Subrayen that kept low, trapping him leg before.
The second new ball made little difference to the Titans’ domination, with former Dolphin Andile Phehlukwayo replacing Moonsamy and offering good support for Brevis.
Phehlukwayo had reached 36 in 59 balls at the close with he and Brevis having added 64 for the sixth wicket.
A sobering day for Parsons ended unfortunately when he just failed to reach a catch offered by a tiring Brevis in the deep, injuring his right arm in the process and leading to his departure from the field just before bad light ended play 12 overs before the close.
For the Dolphins, Okuhle Cele was economical, claiming 1-35 in 15 overs, Banele Cele was the most successful, taking 2-48 in 12 overs while Subrayen shouldered the biggest burden with 1-77 off 30 overs.
The day belonged, however, to Brevis and the Titans.
STUMPS: Day 2 comes to a close with the score on 337-5. Dewald Brevis (129*) is partnered with Andile Phehlukwayo (36*) and they share in a 64-run partnership.
— Momentum Multiply Titans (@Titans_Cricket) November 13, 2024
We pick it up tomorrow at 09:00.#4DaySeries pic.twitter.com/xNtvRzvIuO
HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Sarel Erwee (capt), Tshepang Dithole (wk), Slade van Staden, Bryce Parsons, Jason Smith, Romashan Pillay, Jon Jon Smuts, Prenelan Subrayen, Banele Cele, Daryn Dupavillon, Okuhle Cele
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Neil Brand (capt), Joshua van Heerden, Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Jhedli van Briesies, Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Andile Phehlukwayo, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Boast, Schalk Engelbrecht, Tsepo Ndwandwa