Allrounders Andile Phehlukwayo and Corbin Bosch led an impressive fightback for the Momentum Multiply Titans against the DP World Lions as they batted their side to 239-6 at the close of play on day two of their CSA 4-Day series match at DP World Wanderers on Wednesday.
The Titans still trail the Lions first innings score of 316 all out by 77 runs, but they are in a much better position than they were early in the post tea session, thanks to Phehlukwayo and Bosch both bringing up well-deserved half centuries just before the close.
Phehlukwayo ended the day unbeaten on 53 off 98 balls (7x4; 1x6) and Bosch on 55 off 76 (10x4), while opening batter Joshua van Heerden also managed a gritty half century (50 off 114 balls,10x4).
STUMPS: We're 239-6 at the close of play on Day 2 and reduced the deficit to 77 runs.
— Momentum Multiply Titans (@Titans_Cricket) November 6, 2024
Corbin Bosch (55*) and Andile Phehlukwayo (53*) share in a 107-run partnership, both men getting their 9th first class fifties 👏🏼
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After tea the Titans resumed on 103-5, with Van Heerden and Phehlukwayo sharing a 29-run sixth-wicket stand.
Van Heerden managed to get to his fifty, but fell almost immediately -- caught by Lions captain Dominic Hendricks off the bowling of Tshepo Moreki -- to leave them in deep trouble on 132-6.
But that brought Bosch to the crease and along with Phehlukwayo they set about reviving the Titans' innings with an impressive unbeaten 107-run seventh-wicket partnership.
Both batters rotated the strike well and put away the bad balls as they took their side past the 150-run and 200-run marks, before reaching the close in a decent position.
They will hope to kick on in the morning session of day three.
WICKET CARNAGE
Earlier, the Titans bowled the Lions out in the morning session, before reaching lunch in a decent position on 31-0, only to implode in a disastrous early afternoon session where they lost five wickets.
In the first over after the lunch break opener Neil Brand (26) looked to pick up where he left off, hitting Lutho Sipamla for two boundaries, but the bowler got his revenge as he pinned the Titans captain LBW, which sparked a collapse of four wickets for 17 runs.
Keegan Petersen (4) was also trapped LBW by Sipamla, trying to leave a ball that jagged back in and thudded into his pads.
Dewald Brevis (5) had a rush of blood to his head and got caught at square leg trying to pull Moreki, while Jhedli van Briesies (4) was caught behind by keeper Connor Esterhuizen off the bowling of Delano Potgieter, which saw them crash to 56-4.
Van Heerden, who had been watching the carnage from the other end, finally received a willing partner in Rivaldo Moonsamy (22) and steadies the ship with a 47-run fifth-wicket partnership.
But as they were nearing the tea break, Codi Yusuf got one past Moonsamy’s defences to bowl him, leaving Phehlukwayo and Van Heerden to defend their way to tea.
YUSUF COMES TO THE PARTY FOR LIONS
At the start of the day the Lions resumed their first innings on 257-7 and would have been targeting a score in excess of 300, but it looked like they might not be able to do that after their last recognised batter, Esterhuizen (45), was run out by Van Heerden leaving them on 281-8.
However, No 9 batter Yusuf put in a superb lower-order shift, hitting seven fours in scoring 44 off 61 balls, as he boosted his side over the 300-run mark.
He shared in a 13-run ninth-wicket stand with Moreki (3), before the latter was trapped LBW by Tsepo Ndwandwa, and a 22-run last-wicket stand with Sipamla (6 not out), before Yusuf was last man out, edging Brevis to wicketkeeper Moonsamy.
Bosch ended the innings as the Titans' most successful bowler, picking up 4-71, while Ndwandwa backed him up well with 3-73.
INNINGS: The Lions are 316 all out, Dewald Brevis getting the last wicket of Codi Yusuf (44).
— Momentum Multiply Titans (@Titans_Cricket) November 6, 2024
Corbin Bosch led the attack with his 4-71, supported by Tsepo Ndwandwa (3-73).
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DP WORLD LIONS: Dominic Hendricks (capt), Joshua Richards, Zubayr Hamza, Mitchell van Buuren, Khaya Fakuda, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Codi Yusuf, Tshepo Moreki, Lutho Sipamla
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Neil Brand (capt), Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Josh van Heerden, Jhedli van Briesies, Dayyaan Galiem, Andile Phehlukwayo, Corbin Bosch, Merrick Brett, Tsepo Ndwandwa