Titans ease to victory over Dragons

The Momentum Multiply Titans eased to a 33-run victory over the North West Dragons in their CSA T20 Challenge match at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Tuesday.

The result means that the Titans, who have already qualified for the semifinals, leap to the top of the log while the Dragons still have another chance of making the semifinals although it depends on other results going their way.

Chasing an intimidating 168 for victory after putting the Titans in to bat, the Dragons never looked likely to reach their goal, finishing on 134 for seven. Aaron Phangiso in particular impressed with 2/13 in four overs of nuanced left-arm spin. Dewald Brevis didn’t succeed with the bat but his legspinners brought him the wickets of Dwaine Pretorius and Eldred Hawken while medium-pacer Aya Gqamane bowled tightly, taking 2/22 and also taking a superb leaping catch at backward point to dismiss Nicky van den Bergh.

For the Dragons, Lesego Senokwane played fluently for his 31 while Muthusamy struck some potent blows for his 22 in 15 balls. Perhaps the key to curtailing the Dragons’ batsmen, however, was the fate of their openers, both potential weapons for the Potch-based team. Wesley Marshall was superbly run out by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock going for a second run in the second over while Heino Kuhn, who had looked in good form, was trapped leg before by Gqamane for a quickfire 17.

Earlier, the Titans’ batsmen once again scored the runs that made life easier for their bowlers.

The key was an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 89 in 70 balls by Heinrich Klaasen and Donavon Ferreira after an entertaining cameo of 34 in 17 balls by De Kock. The left-hander’s exuberant innings enabled the Titans to reach 62 in the power play – the most they have managed in the tournament to date.

The entertainment ended, however, when De Kock drove Eldred Hawken powerfully to mid-off where Heino Kuhn pulled off a superb, goalkeeper-style catch diving horizontally to his left.

North West then continued the momentum shift when Dwaine Pretorius bowled Brevis second ball, his off-cutter knocking back the youngster’s middle-stump.

The scoring rate slowed with Muthusamy celebrating his birthday with some splendid left-arm spin, snaring the wickets of Theunis de Bruyn (25) and Sibs Makhanya (5) in a four-over spell that yielded only 14 runs. The spinner is currently the most economical in the tournament.

The early scoring spree, however, gave Klaasen and Ferreira the time to re-establish the innings with a fine partnership that built momentum to the extent that they cracked 58 in the last five overs. Klaasen, who played some remarkable reverse-laps and sweeps, finished with 54 off 41 balls, his 11th T20 half-century and second in the tournament, while Ferreira struck 37 in 35 balls.

NORTH WEST DRAGONS: Wesley Marshall, Heino Kuhn, Lesego Senokwane, Nicky van den Bergh (capt & wk), Dwaine Pretorius, Senuran Muthusamy, Nono Pongolo, Chad Classen, Eldred Hawken, Caleb Seleka, Johannes Diseko

MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Theunis de Bruyn (capt), Quinton de Kock (wk), Dewald Brevis, Heinrich Klaasen, Sibonelo Makhanya, Donavon Ferreira, Aya Gqamane, Junior Dala, Aaron Phangiso, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi