A superb century from Lhuan-dre Pretorius helped the Momentum Multiply Titans clinch a tight 13-run Duckworth-Lewis-Stern determined win in their weather affected CSA One-Day Cup match against Goldrush Boland at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday.
There were three rain delays in the match, two during the Titans' innings in the morning, and one late in the afternoon during Boland’s chase, which saw the game first reduced to 28-overs-a-side, before the visitors fell short of the adjusted 227-run target off 22 overs.
Boland won the toss and chose to field, with the Titans reaching a strong 235-5 in their 28 overs, thanks largely to Pretorius’s 101 off 74 balls, featuring 12 fours and three sixes, which was the highlight of their innings.
The Boland chase then got off to the worst possible start, slipping to 19-3 in the fifth over, before they managed to recover to 142-6 when the rain came down again in the 17th over.
When they returned to the field they needed an improbable 85 runs to win of 34 balls, only for spinner Imaran Manack to launch three sixes and six fours in his 17-ball 49, but he fell in the final over to end their slim chances of stunning the hosts.
Earlier in the chase Grant Roelofsen hit 62 off 38 balls (5x4; 5x6), while Lehan Botha (20), Ferisco Adams (18), Keith Dudgeon (12) and Jehdli van Briesies (11) all chipped in to keep them in the hunt, before Manack’s pyrotechnics almost pulled off a coup, as they ended on 213-9.
Duan Jansen, 2-19, was the pick of the Titans' bowlers, backed up well by Dayyaan Galiem, 2-27, while Neil Brand, 2-47, and Tsepo Ndwandwa, 2-58, also picked up wickets but were expensive.
CRACKING FINISH
At the start of the match the Titans had two significant rain delays in the ninth over, before resuming their innings on 42-0, needing some positive batting to get them to a competitive total with the match reduced to 28 overs each.
But they soon lost their first wicket in the 11th over, as opener Rivaldo Moonsamy was caught by Grant Roelfsen at deep midwicket off the bowling of Manack, leaving them on 60-1.
That brought Keegan Petersen, 30 off 23 balls (2x4; 1x6). in to join Pretorius and they combined for a top 100-run partnership off 57 balls, taking their side past the 100 and 150 run marks to set them up nicely for a big score.
But Boland fought back well with a flurry of wickets, starting in an action packed 21st over as the Titans passed 150, Pretorius reached his century in style, hitting Glenton Stuurman for a six over deep midwicket, but off the next ball popped a catch to Dudgeon at short fine leg, with the score 160-2.
In the next over Manack had Petersen caught at deep square leg by Akhona Mnyaka, and in the following Mnyaka had Brand (3) top edging to Dudgeon at short fine leg, as the Titans slipped to 167-4 in the 23rd over.
A cracking finish from the Titans then got them up over 230, as Keagan-Lion Cachet, 37* off 19 (5x4; 1x6), and Galiem, 28 off 14 (2x4; 2x6) shared in a 54-run fifth wicket stand, while 54 runs came off the last four overs.
MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk), Rivaldo Moonsamy (capt), Keegan Petersen, Lesego Senokwane, Neil Brand, Dayyaan Galiem, Keagan-Lion Cachet, Duan Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Junior Dala, Tsepo Ndwandwa
GOLDRUSH BOLAND: Grant Roelofsen, Clyde Fortuin (wk, capt), Gavin Kaplan, Jhedli van Briesies, Ferisco Adams, Keith Dudgeon, Aviwe Mgijima, Lehan Botha, Akhona Mnyaka, Imran Manack, Glenton Stuurman