Bamanye Xenxe was the unlikely hero for the Gbets Rocks with the fast bowler clinching a thrilling four-run Duckworth Lewis victory for his team over the Multiply Titans in the CSA Division 1 Challenge at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Tuesday evening.
The Titans required nine runs off the final over, but Xenxe clean bowled Simon Harmer and trapped Corbin Bosch to defend his team’s adjusted target of 108. The Rocks had earlier posted a below-par 121/8 in their allotted 20 overs, but the target was reduced by 13 runs and three overs due to the floodlights going out because of load shedding.
The defending champions seemed to be out of the contest when young Dewald Brevis started like a runaway train with 22 off just 11 balls.
The Titans, who are still comfortably top of the log with 18 points from five matches, fiddled with their batting line-up a bit by promoting allrounder Dayaan Galiem to the No 4 position in the absence of Theunis de Bruyn.
They still seemed on track with Jevashan Pillay contributing a sedate 18 off 34 balls, Neil Brand (20 off 20 balls) and Galiem (25 off 21 balls).
However, once Galiem was brilliantly caught down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin off Hardus Viljoen (2/35), the Rocks squeezed an inexperienced Titans middle-order.
Imraan Manack may not have picked up a wicket, but the offspinner produced a miserly spell of 0/15 from his allotted four overs. Stand-in Rocks captain Ferisco Adams was also brilliant in the penultimate over that set up Xenze’s heroics to finish with 1/13 from his three overs.
Earlier, the Rocks innings was held together by the experienced Farhaan Berhadien. The former Proteas has, of course, won many a game for his previous franchise, the Titans, but was hell-bent on not giving it away with a match-winning 63 from 51 balls (5x4, 2x6).
Behardien only had support from Fortuin (29 off 26 balls), but it was ultimately enough on a night the Rocks once again turned the table on the favoured Titans - as they did in last year’ final in Gqeberha.