DAY 2: Titans’ openers ease through opening session

Titans’ openers Josh van Heerden and skipper Neil Brand eased to 97 without loss in 38 overs in the opening session of their CSA 4-Day Series match against a toothless Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ attack at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.

Van Heerden, the more aggressive of the Titans’ openers, was undefeated on 52 at the break, his ninth first-class 50, while Neil Brand was on 39.

Nominally the second day of the match, after the first day was abandoned because of what the umpires deemed unplayably damp conditions, the Dolphins won the toss and chose to bowl first on a windy, cloudless day.

Skipper Sarel Erwee will wonder whether he made the right decision as Van Heerden and Brand had few problems against an anonymous Dolphins’ pace attack. The pitch looked lifeless, the ball keeping low on occasion, but there was no swing or seam movement for the pacemen, and only slow turn for the spinners.

Off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen was on before the end of the first hour, wheeling away accurately from the Umgeni River end. He was soon joined by Jon Jon Smuts at the Old Fort end.

For the most part, the batters looked very comfortable against all the bowlers, although they began fairly cautiously, adopting an old-school approach, maintaining a run-rate of just under two to the over for much of the 150-minute session. This was upgraded to 2.6 by the lunch, helped by two overs of long-hops from left-arm spinner Bryce Parsons who conceded 21 in his two overs.

Subrayen was the best of the bowlers, conceding only 19 runs in 13 overs. He also had a good shout for leg before against Brand turned down and then had Van Heerden dropped by Slade van Staden at short leg – a tough chance that didn’t stick as the right-hander clipped the ball firmly off his hips.

HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Sarel Erwee (capt), Tshepang Dithole (wk), Slade van Staden, Bryce Parsons, Jason Smith, Romashan Pillay, Jon Jon Smuts, Prenelan Subrayen, Banele Cele, Daryn Dupavillon, Okuhle Cele

MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Neil Brand (capt), Joshua van Heerden, Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Jhedli van Briesies, Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Andile Phehlukwayo, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Boast, Schalk Engelbrecht, Tsepo Ndwandwa