Rising young talent Dewald Brevis was key to the Momentum Multiply Titans fightback as they reached stumps on day two on 108/4 in their second innings of their CSA 4-Day series clash against World Sports Betting Western Province at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday.
Brevis was unbeaten at the crease on 44 off 55 balls (10x4) and he will likely play a big role in how the game turns out as the Titans hold a lead of just 83 over the visitors heading into the third days play.
This after the hosts were bowled all out for 225 on day one, while Province replied with 250 all out at tea on day two, to take a tight 25 run lead into the day’s final session.
It was then a fascinating fight between bat and ball, as Province picked up vital wickets, while Brevis stood tall by the close of play.
It was the perfect start for Province as Dane Paterson trapped Joshua van Heerden LBW for a second ball duck, before captain Neil Brand (15) and Keegan Petersen (26) shared in a 38-run second wicket stand, when Brand was run out by George Linde leaving them on 38/2.
Brevis and Petersen then combined to add 47 to the score, but just as they were taking charge Paterson struck again, pinning Petersen in front this time with the score 85/3.
First innings hero Lhuan-dre Pretorius (4) couldn’t back up his century, with him caught by Onke Nyaku off Jody Lawrence as they slipped to 102/4.
That saw the hosts send in Junior Dala (5no) as a nightwatchman and he survived to the close along with Brevis.
Earlier in the post lunch session Province resumed their first innings on 151/5, with Linde (51) and Mihlali Mpongwana (24) combining for a 64-run sixth wicket partnership to put the visitors on top.
However as they were approaching the Titans total Mpongwana fell as Dala made the breakthrough, having him caught by Petersen, leaving them on 215/6.
Linde continued on to a solid half century and took his side past the Titans score, but then three wickets fell for four runs as Dala trapped Linde LBW, and Brand bowled Mthiwekhaya Nabe (1) and Nyaku (5), as Province tumbled to 232/9.
Lawrence (8) and Paterson (10no) added a few valuable runs to the score before Lawrence was caught by Dayyaan Galiem off the bowling of Matthew Boast to end the innings.
Dala, 4/53, was the pick of the bowlers and was backed up well by Boast, 3/57, and Brand, 2/13.
In the morning session the visitors resumed their first innings on 86/2, starting carefully with Eddie Moore and David Bedingham (28) making very slow progress.
Having extended their third wicket stand to 17-runs, and crossed the hundred run mark, Moore was the first wicket to fall on the day, bowled by Boast after taking 57 balls to score just six runs.
Bedingham and captain Kyle Verreynne (13) added 19 to the score, before Boast was back in the action, catching Verreynne off his own bowling to reduce Province to 122/4.
Linde and Bedingham then tried to take their side safely to lunch, but on the stroke of the break Bedingham’s careful innings came to it’s end as he edged Dala to keeper Pretorius, leaving Province slightly on top.
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Joshua van Heerden, Neil Brand (capt), Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Lhuand-dre Pretorius, Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Andile Phehlukwayo, Dayyaan Galiem, Junior Dala, Matthew Boast, Tsepo Ndwandwa
WSB WESTERN PROVINCE: Eddie Moore, Tony de Zorzi, David Bedingham, Daniel Smith, Kyle Verreynne (capt, wk), George Linde, Mihlali Mpongwana, Onke Nyaku, Mothiwekhaya Nabe, Jody Lawrence, Dane Paterson