Player of the match Shaylin Pillay scored a measured half-century as he led the North West Dragons to a comfortable six-wicket win over the Momentum Multiply Titans in their CSA One-Day Cup match at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Sunday.
The Titans, who won the toss and chose to bat first, scored 225 runs from 50 overs. The Dragons needed 226 runs to win and it took them only 45.5 overs to chase it down.
The Dragons' 28-year-old No 3 batter, Shaylin Pillay, arrived at the crease in the 12th over and batted to the 46th over where he scored the winning runs, a well-controlled four that evaded the fielder a long-on, to cap off a brilliant innings.
Pillay's measured knock of 85 runs featured seven fours and came off 110 balls. Pillay was supported by Suneran Muthusamy, with whom he shared the Dragons' highest partnership.
Their partnership was worth 98 runs and Muthusamy contributed 43 of those runs.
Pillay's knock was made possible by the solid platform that openers Lesogo Senokwane and Grant Mokoena provided.
The duo's flying start saw North West sail through the PowerPlay without losing a wicket. Senokwane and Mokoena's partnership was worth 58 runs and lasted until the 11.2-over mark.
The partnership was broken when Senokwane tried to pull a Tabraiz Shamsi delivery, but he missed and the ball cannoned onto the stumps. The 25-year-old had scored a brisk 40 runs from 49 balls.
The Titans had to wait for 7.3 overs before they celebrated the fall of the following North West Dragons wicket. Like the first one, it fell courtesy of spin bowling.
Grant Mokoena was caught by Corbin Bosch stationed at mid-on after trying to slog an Aaron Phangiso delivery. Eight balls later, Phangiso claimed his second wicket when the new batter, Heino Kuhn, edged the ball to Donovan Ferreira for an easy catch.
After the dismissal of the Dragons' keeper, Heino Kuhn, the Titans bowlers toiled for 9.2 overs before they had another breakthrough.
Twenty-four-year-old batter Christopher Britz was dismissed, caught by Corbin Bosch at backward point while trying to carve a short Junior Dala delivery to the boundary. Britz had been part of a 39-run fourth-wicket partnership with Shaylin Pillay. Britz contributed 23 of the 39 runs.
The Dragons were on 130 for four after 30 overs. They needed 96 runs from 120 deliveries to win. Three overs later, the Dragons had shaved off 20 runs from the deficit. They were cruising to victory.
Shaylin Pillay, who was in the middle since the 12th over reached his 11th List A half-century after 38.5 overs. The former Lions batter struck only three boundaries in the 88 deliveries that he faced to reach the milestone.
After 40 overs, the Dragons had 180 runs on the board and needed 46 runs from 60 balls. The home team only needed another 5.5 overs to reach the required total.
Shaylin Pillay was unbeaten on 85 from 110 and his partner, Suneran Muthusamy was not out on 43 off 45 balls.
Spinner Aaron Phangiso was the Titans' most successful bowler with two wickets from 10 overs at an economy of 3.5 runs an over. Tabraiz Shamsi and Junior Dala took a wicket each at economies of 2.2 and 3.6 runs an over, respectively.
LONE HAND
The Dragons' 226-run target was set thanks to a sensational unbeaten half-century by Donovan Ferreira.
Ferreira, one of the most expensive players in next year's SA20 tournament, fought a lone battle as he pushed the Titans to a total they could have a chance at defending.
The 24-year-old wicketkeeper found himself at the crease after 21.5 overs with the Titans marooned on 79 for five.
Ferreira scored 40 per cent of the Titans' total, and opener Dewald Brevis, who scored the second-most runs, scored 17.33 runs of the total.
The only other Titans batters to reach double figures were Proteas star Aiden Markram (23) and Junior Dala (20).
Brevis opened the batting in the company of Musa Twala. Brevis and Twala put 22 runs on the board before Twala was trapped lbw while defending a length ball delivery from Kerwin Mungroo. He fell for five runs from 12 deliveries.
The Titans found themselves in deeper trouble when they lost their second wicket within the PowerPlay, and again, for a low score.
The wicket came 2.5 overs after Twala's dismissal when Mungroo's new ball bowling partner, Corbin Bosch tried to pull but mistimed an Eldred Hawken delivery and was caught by Heino Kuhn. Bosch had scored six off seven balls.
The Titans survived for 13.1 overs without losing a wicket as Brevis and Proteas star Aiden Markram mounted a rebuilding job for the visitors.
The two put together a 47-run third-wicket partnership that Suneran Muthusamy broke. The left-arm spinner dismissed Markram had scored 23 off 47.
Markram's dismissal was the beginning of a batting collapse that saw the Titans lose four wickets in 22 deliveries for only ten runs.
Four balls after Markram's dismissal, Dewald Brevis, who had fought his way to 39 runs from 69 deliveries. Brevis was dismissed driving at a length ball from Dwaine Pretorius's delivery.
He edged it to Heino Kuhn. Two balls later Pretorius took his second wicket with the dismissal of Dayyaan Galiem. Kuhn pouched his third catch after Galiem edged a Pretorius half-volley to him. Galiem was dismissed for a two-ball duck.
The Titans needed their last two recognised batters, Sibonelo Makhanya and Donovan Ferreira to dig deep and bat till the 40-over mark for any hope of a competitive total.
But, that was not to be. 4.1 overs after Markram's dismissal and eight runs after Galiem's dismissal, Makhanya edged a delivery from Pretorius to hand the Proteas allrounder his third wicket. Makhanya had scored three runs from eight balls.
After 30 overs, the Titans were on 99 for six and had Donovan Ferreira and Junior Dala at the crease. They reached the 100-run mark two balls later when Ferreira drove a delivery from Muthusamy to mid-off for one run.
Ferreira and Dala put together the Titans' highest partnership. Their seventh-wicket stand was worth 57 runs and lasted one ball longer than 15 overs.
The partnership was broken by Delano Potgieter's dismissal of Dala for a gutsy 20 off 52 balls. Dala was followed by Aya Gqamane back in the changing room 4.4 overs later. The 33-year-old pacer lasted 12 deliveries and contributed seven runs to the total.
Despite the procession of wickets at the other end, Donovan Ferreira kept his head down and batted his way to a second List A half-century. He passed his previous List A high score of 64 runs in the process.
Dwaine Pretorius was the North West Dragons' most successful bowler with three wickets from 10 overs at an economy of 2.2 runs an over.
Pacer Kerwin Mungroo also bagged three wickets, but he did so at a higher economy rate of 5.86 runs an over.
NORTH WEST DRAGONS: Lesego Senokwane, Thabang Mokoena, Shaylin Pillay, Heino Kuhn, Christopher Britz, Senuran Muthusamy, Delano Potgieter, Dwaine Pretorius, Eldred Hawken, Renaldo Meyer, Kerwin Mungroo.
TITANS:Musa Twala, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Aiden Markram, Sibonelo Makhanya (c), Dayyaan Galiem, Donovan Ferreira, Junior Dala, Aya Gqamane, Aaron Phangiso, Tabraiz Shamsi.