Not even the weather can stop the Titans storm at Willowmoore Park
It was a tremendous batting display from the Titans.
Outrageous hitting by Aiden Markram and Junior Dala helped the Multiply Titans claim a spectacular two-wicket Duckworth-Lewis (DLS) victory over the Warriors in their Momentum One-Day Cup assignment in Benoni on March 8.
In a match heavily affected by the weather, the hosts were set a revised target of 182 in 21 overs at Willowmoore Park.
Protea batsman Markram, who came into the match on the back of successive centuries, bashed six sixes and five fours in a 43-ball 85 to single-handedly keep his side in the mix.
When he fell with 52 to get in 29 balls and only two wickets remaining, the result of the stop-start match appeared to be a formality.
However, national teammate Dala had other ideas and crunched 37 off 14 balls, which included three sixes and three fours, to lead his side over the line with four balls to spare.
It sent the home side into delirium and shot them to the top of the standings.
Earlier, the visitors posted 132 for four in 21 overs having won the toss and batted under dark and threatening skies.
There were stoppages aplenty, including a delay for lightning, as Matthew Breetzke (42), Gihahn Cloete (26) and captain Jon-Jon Smuts (29) offered the Eastern Cape franchise a strong start.
They reached 109 for one at one point, but wickets and then the weather prematurely ended their innings.
With DLS altering the target heavily, the Titans needed something special to secure the fourth win in six.
Markram lacked support for most of the way with Tony de Zorzi’s 12 the next highest score prior to the former being dismissed.
It looked over at that point, but Dala, with support from Tshepo Moreki (19 not out off 15 balls), rewrote the script.
The former tucked into the 19th over sent down by Andrew Birch, dispatching him for two sixes and three fours in a 25-run spree.
That proved the game changer as the match-winning 55-run ninth-wicket partnership carried the Titans to victory – Dala ending with his career-best List A effort with the willow.
The next Momentum One-Day Cup fixture in Benoni will take place on Human Rights Day (March 21) when the Titans host the Lions from 10am.
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