Clinical Titans outclass poor Dolphins

The Momentum Multiply Titans completely outclassed a very ordinary Hollywoodbets Dolphins by 51 runs in their CSA T20 Challenge match at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.

RESULT: Another victory in the bag! We win this one by 51 runs.

Next we're at home at SuperSport Park on Sunday from 16:00. Make sure to get your tickets here: https://t.co/eiT9Pq9WGx#T20Challenge | #SkyBlues pic.twitter.com/FMlLreSfki

— Momentum Multiply Titans (@Titans_Cricket) October 4, 2024

The Titans, who look favourites already to claim the main prize in this shortened seven-round competition, duly picked up their second bonus-point victory in a row after crushing the title holders, the Dafabet Lions, last week.

If the Titans are smiling, the Dolphins have plenty of problems to ponder after their second defeat in a row. Their opening match against the Dafabet Warriors may have gone down to the final over, but this match was lost and won halfway through when the Titans scored an intimidating 210 for three after being put in to bat.

The evergreen Roelof van der Merwe, 39 years young, was the man to inflict most of the damage when the Dolphins batted, claiming his best figures in the competition of 4-31 off four overs.

The Bulldog’s intensity and enthusiasm were evident immediately after he came on in the second over after Bryce Parsons had earlier spliced Dayyaan Galiem to mid-on.

The left-arm spinner immediately got one to turn in his first over that squared up Slade van Staden who edged a comfortable catch to Corbin Bosch at slip to depart for a duck.

That made the Dolphins six for two after 10 balls and they never really recovered from that start.

Van Staden was Van der Merwe's first victim, with the key scalp of Jon-Jon Smuts (35) following when he hung onto a hot return catch. That came after a useful but hardly threatening fourth-wicket partnership of 64 between Smuts and Marques Ackerman (42 in 31 balls) that was really the only sign of defiance from the home team, although skipper Prenelan Subrayen clouted 22 off 11 balls at the death when the match was already decided.

The Titans are a well-balanced team who look well able to exploit different conditions with impressive resources of pace and spin, not to mention batting down the order. At Kingsmead, with its slowish pitch, spin played the biggest role with Tsepo Ndwandwa (1-34) and Donovan Ferreira (1-25) providing an excellent accompaniment to Van der Merwe’s heroics.

SOLID DISPLAY WITH THE BAT

Earlier, Rivaldo Moonsamy and Donovan Ferreira pounded a slipshod Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ attack for 95 in just 42 balls for the fourth wicket to climax a solid display with the bat from the visitors as they compiled their impressive total.

Anything over 200 in Durban is good going on a slowish pitch. The visitors were clinical in their approach after a fairly conservative powerplay (43 for no loss in six overs). Lhuan-dre Pretorius got the Titans off to a brisk start with 39 in 29 balls, the beefy left-hander essaying some powerful strokes on both sides of the pitch.

Medium-pacer Andile Simelane made the breakthrough on 60 when he had Pretorius well caught by a diving Romashan Pillay at deep point for 39 in 29 balls, but Simelane made a serious blunder when it was established that he over-stepped in the 10th over after he clean-bowled a stuttering Moonsamy who had struggled to reach 20 off 22 balls.

Reprieved, the opener went on the attack as the Titans scored 51 off the next four overs as the Dolphins’ heads dropped. The home team struck back, however, when Simelane disposed of Sibs Makhanya who square cut a long hop straight to Bryce Parsons on the point boundary, while Dewald Brevis hit a full toss from Daryn Dupavillon straight to long-on.

At 115 for three in the 14th over, local optimists might have hoped that the game hung in the balance, but Donovan Ferreira joined Moonsamy and the pair blitzed 95 off just 42 balls as the Dolphins’ bowlers – unable to bowl a consistent “test-match” length – offered the batsmen a juicy selection of wide half-volleys and long-hops on both sides of the wicket.

Ironically, 19-year-old Pillay bowled arguably the best over of the innings – his sole offering going for just five runs in the penultimate over and briefly stopping the Titans’ momentum.

But Dupavillon went for 24 in the final over, and 51 in his four overs, as Ferreira completed his destructive 59 in just 25 balls, while Moonsamy was also unbeaten on 81 in 47 balls, with the pair setting the Dolphins a record-breaking total to reach if they were to win the game. As it turned out, it was never a contest.

HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Bryce Parsons, Khaya Zondo, Slade van Staden (wk), Marques Ackerman, Jon-Jon Smuts, Tshepang Dithole, Andile Simelane, Prenelan Subrayen (capt), Romashan Pillay, Daryn Dupavillon, Okuhle Cele

MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Keegan Petersen (capt), Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira, Sibs Makhanya, Dayyaan Galiem, Corbin Bosch, Roelof van der Merwe, Junior Dala, Tsepo Ndwandwa