Western Province restrict Titans to 143/8 in T20 Challenge

A solid all-round bowling effort from World Sports Betting Western Province helped them restrict the Momentum Multiply Titans to 143/8 batting first in their T20 Challenge match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday.

Western Province won the toss and chose to bowl, which seemed to be a good call as they made crucial strikes regularly through the Titans innings to stem the flow of runs, and they will now look to chase down the total in their innings.

The Titans innings got off to a poor start as Province allrounder Mihlali Mpongwana picked up a double strike in the second over.

First opener Rivaldo Moonsamy swatted a six over deep square leg, only for Mpongwana to immediately get revenge the next ball having him caught behind by keeper Daniel Smith, before he had Keegan Petersen caught for a second ball duck by Wesley Bedja off the last ball of the over, with the score 12/2.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 23 off 16 balls (5x4) and Dewald Brevis (11) tried to rebuild with a 33-run third wicket partnership off 24 balls.

But just as they looked to get going, as they cracked 13 off the final over of the powerplay from Beuran Hendricks to get them to 45/2 after six overs, things started to unravel.

At the start of the seventh over Pretorius was run out, and the very next ball Brevis tried to launch George Linde for six but only found Bedja in the deep as they slipped to 45/4.

Sibonelo Makhanya (21) and Donovan Ferreira, 35 off 27 (2x4; 1x6) were the next duo to try to rebuild as they combined for a 56-run fifth wicket stand.

They took their side carefully to the halfway mark on 62/4 before looking to open up, as a four and a six from Ferreira off Linde saw the 11th over go for 14 runs.

Makhanya got in on the action himself in the 12th, hitting a six off Mthiwekhaya Nabe as 12 came off it, followed by another 11 coming off Kyle Simmonds 13th.

Bedja then made the breakthrough in the 14th, just after the Titans had brought up their hundred, as he had Ferreira caught at deep cover by Eddie Moore with the score 101/5.

Makhanya followed soon after at the start of the 16th, mistiming his slog off Linde to Simmonds at long on as they fell to 107/6.

Dayyaan Galiem (16) was kept relatively quiet but added a few runs before Bedja had him top edging to Moore at third man to reduce them to 126/7 after 18 overs.

Corbin Bosch (13no) and Roelof van der Merwe (6) struggled to get the ball away in the final two overs, while Van Der Merwe was run out by Bedja off the penultimate ball, as they reached a below par score.

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

WESTERN PROVINCE: Eddie Moore, David Bedingham, Daniel Smith (wk), Valentine Kitime, George Linde, Mihlali Mpongwana, Abdullah Bayoumy, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks (capt), Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Wesley Bedja