Moore onslaught powers Western Province to win over Titans

A superb onslaught from Eddie Moore powered World Sports Betting Western Province to a thumping seven wicket win over the Momentum Multiply Titans in their T20 Challenge match at SuperSport Park on Sunday.

Moore took some time to get going but once he unleashed, near the 10 over mark, he crashed his way to an impressive 88 off 47 balls, smashing nine fours and five sixes along the way.

He shared in an unbeaten 101-run fourth wicket partnership with Mihlali Mpongwana, 25no off 17 (2x4; 1x6), off just 50 balls as they powered their side over the line with 26 balls to spare in the innings.

Earlier the Titans had batted first and an all-round bowling effort had restricted them to below par 143/8 in their 20 overs, which proved to not nearly be enough in the end.

The Province chase got off to a poor start as opener David Bedingham (4) hit Junior Dala straight to Corbin Bosch at long on in the second over with the score 9/1.

A double strike in the eighth had Province in a spot of bother, after Valentine Kitime (23) hit Bosch for a six, but followed that up by hitting him to Lhuan-dre Pretorius at mid-off, with Daniel Smith then bowled for a first ball duck, leaving them on 45/3 by the end of the over.

However boundaries from Moore and Mpongwana off Roelof van der Merwe’s ninth saw 11 off it and that kick started the carnage.

Moore took aim at Donovan Ferreira’s 10th, hammering four, six, four off the last three balls, all in the long off region as 18 came off it.

The 12th over started with Moore smashing a six and then cracking a four to bring up his half century, followed by back-to-back boundaries later in the over making it 18 from it, while the 13th from Tsepo Ndwandwa went for 16 thanks to back-to-back sixes from Moore.

Another Moore six in Van Der Merwe’s 14th saw 11 from it, while Mpongwana got in on the action in Bosch’s 15th hitting a four and a six as they added another 13, before Mpongwana got the winning run in the next over bowled by Dayyaan Galiem.

At the start of play 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.

The Titans innings got off to a poor start as allrounder 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 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.

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 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 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.

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.

Bosch (13no) and 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