Pite van Biljon’s brave unbeaten hundred – his first for the Itec Knights – was not enough to prevent the Momentum Multiply Titans from retaining their unbeaten record (they have now won all four of their matches) with a 32-run win in a richly entertaining, run-filled CSA One-Day Cup match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday.
In all, 650 runs were scored in front of a small but appreciative crowd with the Titans scoring 341 for six – led by a superb 153 from Heinrich Klaasen – and the Knights replying with 309 all out in 44.1 overs with a limping Van Biljon unbeaten and unbowed at the end with 127 in 110 balls, including 14 fours and four sixes.
Van Biljon’s problem was that nobody could stay long enough with him to seriously threaten victory although even so the Knights’ total was the biggest second innings score at the ground. Van Biljon aside, there were six batsmen who got to 20 without being able to go on and provide the assistance their captain needed.
The Knights’ run chase was always ahead of the required rate with a frenetic first power play in which 82 runs came in the 10 overs.
The problem was that the visitors lost four wickets during that period as well with a couple of soft dismissals, particularly that of Rilee Rossouw who should have adopted a more measured approach.
After all, the Titans had only reached 30 after 10 overs but still managed the kind of acceleration that took them to their total.
If the Titans had lost, they could have blamed their indisciplined bowling with 29 extras conceded including 18 wides – that is three extra overs that the Knights were offered.
Most of the wickets were shared between paceman Corbin Bosch (4-69) and left-arm spinner Neil Brand (4-61) whose all-round contribution to the Titans’ winning effort was immense as he also struck 87 with the bat.
Earlier, just four days after cracking 121 in a losing cause for the Titans against the Gbets Warriors, Klaasen struck his career-best score of 153 in 127 balls.
KNIGHTS SHODDY IN THE OUTFIELD
Klaasen and Brand had to haul their team out of early trouble after they lost their first two wickets for 15 runs after Gihahn Cloete and Theunis de Bruyn fell to Jacques Snyman and Migael Pretorius respectively.
The two men began carefully with only 30 runs scored in the first power play, but they changed gear after they settled in, mixing big boundary hitting with excellent running between the wickets as they compiled a Titans’ record of 177 for the third wicket.
The left-handed Brand was initially the quieter of the two partners, giving Klaasen the strike and running his ones and twos, but he became more aggressive as the two eventually matched blow for blow.
When Brand was eventually caught on the midwicket boundary in the 35th over, he had scored an impressive 87 in 104 balls (5x4s, 2x6s).
Klaasen continued to pile on the boundaries, hitting nine fours and seven sixes in his innings, adding a further 97 in 11 overs with Sibs Makhanya (37 in 34 balls).
Eventually he holed out in the 46th over but the pain was not over for the Knights as the Titans finished just short of the 350 mark, a formidable target.
The Knights were shoddy in the outfield, dropping at least four catches and missing some half-chances as well.
Alfie Mothoa (1/71) was the unfortunate bowler to suffer most in this respect, but left-arm spinner Mbongiseni Mhlanga will not want to recall his second List A match, being mauled for 81 in his eight overs.
The star bowler for the Knights was paceman Migael Pretorius who took 2-40 in his 10 overs amidst all the carnage.
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Neil Brand, Gihahn Cloete, Theunis de Bruyn, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Sibonelo Makhanya (capt), Donavon Ferreira, Corbin Bosch, Ayabulela Gqamane, Junior Dala, Aaron Phangiso, Samuel Ruwisi
ITEC KNIGHTS: Matthew Kleinveldt, Jacques Snyman, Raynard van Tonder, Rilee Rossouw, Pite van Biljon (capt), Patrick Kruger, Mangaliso Mosehle (wk), Alfred Mothoa, Migael Pretorius, Romano Terblanche, Mbongiseni Mhlanga