Titans back on track after blow against Cobras
After a setback last Friday against the Cape Cobras, the Titans could on Sunday in Benoni get back on track in the Momentum One-Day Cup tournament.
Albie Morkel and his Titans team bounced back in Benoni on Sunday in the Momentum One-day Cup after their surprising defeat on Friday against the Cape Cobras in Centurion.
Two outstanding centuries by Andrea Agathangelou and Rivaldo Moonsamy carried the Titans to a convincing 104-run victory over the Warriors at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Sunday.
The bonus point win meant the Titans quickly rebounded from their defeat at the hands of the Cobras to regain the top position on the log.
On Friday the Cape side stopped the Titans from claiming a third straight victory as they inflicted a first loss of the season on the home team, beating them by four wickets in Centurion.
The defending champion, however, bounced back Sunday. Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Agathangelou and Moonsamy added 169 for the second wicket to lay the foundation for their excellent total of 312 for seven on a dry, tricky pitch.
While Agathangelou (113 off 124 deliveries), who is enjoying a good 50-over campaign, was fluent throughout, Moonsamy has struggled in the competition so far and took his time to get settled.
In a very mature innings, the 21-year-old scored just five runs off the first 20 balls he faced, but became increasingly confident and completed his maiden century off just 93 deliveries, with 11 fours and four sixes.
The other opening batsman, debutant Bafana Mahlangu, made 10 before he was caught off spinner Simon Harmer, and Heinrich Klaasen fell for just nine when he was caught off Sisanda Magala.
But five and six is where Farhaan Behardien and Albie Morkel have performed with great consistency for the Titans and they were both able to hit sixes in the closing overs as they helped the home side post the second highest total of the season.
Lungi Ngidi is one of the more fearsome fast bowlers on the domestic circuit and he struck early for the Titans, dismissing Lesiba Ngoepe for four in the fourth over, while Morkel showed that he is still a canny customer with the new ball, deceiving and bowling the dangerous Colin Ackermann for just two.
Gihahn Cloete and Yaseen Vallie (29) then rallied for the Warriors with a third-wicket stand of 71 in 12-and-a-half overs, but Grant Thomson is a Willowmoore Park local and he used the right variation to induce a return catch from Vallie to break the partnership.
Leg-spinner Shaun von Berg removed Warriors captain and T20 international Jon-Jon Smuts for nine, and with seamers Thomson and Junior Dala both able to take a couple of wickets, the Warriors were out of the game by the time Tabraiz Shamsi received his reward for some fine bowling by taking the last three wickets.
The Titans’ next game is on Friday against the Cobras in Cape Town.
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