Another domestic double for the Titans
The Titans on Friday became the Momentum One-Day Cup champions by giving the Warriors of the Eastern Cape a massive hiding at SuperSport Park.
Albie Morkel and his Titans teammates ensured on Friday that they conclude the domestic season once again as double champions.
Thrilling centuries by Aiden Markram and Henry Davids laid the foundation for the Titans to be crowned Momentum One-Day Cup champions after they crushed the Warriors by 236 runs in the franchise season finale at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Therewith the home team made sure that they again win two of the three local South African tournaments, after they were also crowned the country’s T20 Challenge champions earlier this season.
In the previous season, the Titans also won two of the three tournaments, when they were crowned champions in both the T20 s Challenge and the Sunfoil four-day series.
On Friday night Markram clubbed 161 from 123 balls and Davids smashed 114 from 98 balls as the pair helped the hosts pile up 425/5 – the highest total in franchise cricket history.
There were further meaningful contributions from Heinrich Klaasen, a late inclusion in the team after AB de Villiers missed out due to a back injury, with the wicketkeeper making 60 from 50 balls, while Chris Morris plundered six sixes in an unbeaten 47 from a mere 12 deliveries.
It meant the Titans bettered the record they set twice this season after breaching the 400-mark for the third time.
Faced with an enormous target, the Warriors wilted under pressure and succumbed to 189 all out in 31 overs to hand the home side a domestic limited overs double after they beat the same opponents in the T20 Challenge final in December.
Tabraiz Shamsi was the pick of the bowlers with 3/31, but victory was undoubtedly set up by Markram and Davids, who were majestic from the start.
After the Titans won the toss and batted, the pair put on a record 212 for the opening wicket. They were relentless on the bowlers, with no one spared in what was the highest partnership ever for any wicket against their final opposition.
For the Warriors to challenge they needed senior men like captain Jon-Jon Smuts (13) and Colin Ingram (1) to fire, but unfortunately both were back in the pavilion inside five overs as Lungi Ngidi (2/38) struck a critical double blow.
The task became nearly impossible one from there. Jerry Nqolo tried his best with a top-score of 40.
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