Titans collapse and suffer unnecessary defeat against Dolphins
Five wickets within 19 balls enabled the Dolphins on Sunday at SuperSport Park to beat the Titans in a Momentum one-day match.
After their dazzling start last week against the Knights in this year’s Momentum One-Day series, the Titans on Sunday in Centurion threw away their chance of victory against the Dolphins when their batting order collapsed in the last five overs of the game.
To rub the salt deeper into the wounds of Titans supporters, it was five international players who had to walk back to the pavilion within the space of less than three overs.
Since Heinrich Klaasen’s wicket fell with the first ball of the 47th over (280/4), the home team could only add 11 runs until Junior Dala’s (3) wicket was taken with the first ball of the 49th over with the score on 291/8.
Heino Kuhn (47), Chris Morris (3) and Farhaan Behardien (0) were the other three batsmen who lost their wickets in the process.
Eventually the task was too much for Shaun von Berg (5) and Lungi Ngidi (2) to hit 18 runs of five balls for victory.
Incidentally, Ngidi earlier did his part as a bowler when he produced an outstanding four wickets for 47 runs during the Dolphins’ innings.
But for the visitors Robbie Frylinck was the man who caused the most damage during that collapse of the Titans’ batsmen. He eventually claimed four for 53 as the visitors defended their 309-victory target by restricting the hosts to 296 for eight.
Frylinck was assisted by Imran Tahir (two for 64) and Prenelan Subrayen (one for 46) that lifted the defending champions to the summit of the table. Heino Kuhn has lost his wicket when he was run out by Khaya Zondo.
It was the Titans that won the toss at the start and opted to bowl first, but the Dolphins looked like they enjoyed the decision by batting strongly all the way through.
Vaughn van Jaarsveld (27) and Morné van Wyk (30) put on 37 for the first wicket, before the latter and Vilas took the total to 88.
A 59-run third wicket stand between wicketkeeper Vilas and Miller then followed, before both fell along with Khaya Zondo (7) in quick succession.
At 180 for five, it was the only point where the visitors were under major pressure, but Andile Phehlukwayo (69) and Senuran Muthusamy (43) allayed any fears of a sub-par total by putting on 111 for the sixth wicket to help propel their side to 308 for seven.
Earlier in the Titans innings Tony de Zorzi hit a match-high 89 off 101 balls, while Theunis de Bruyn blazed 79 off 62 balls.
De Zorzi and Henry Davids (22) put on a solid 61 at the start of the reply, with the former and De Bruyn putting the host on course for victory with a 114-run second wicket stand.
That put the Titans on 175 for two and they increased their grip on the contest with two more half-century stands – Heino Kuhn (47) and Heinrich Klaasen (32) playing a hand in those – that took them to 280 for three at the end of the 46th over.
Needing just 29 from there, they fell apart to fall short of the mark.
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