Titans back in the race in 4-Day Domestic Series after brilliant victory over log leaders
While the local 4-Day Domestic Series is being paused this week until the end of March for the final of the national Momentum one-day series, the Titans placed themselves in a very favourable position last week with a huge victory over the log leaders, the Lions.
The Titans will start the Momentum One-Day series with much confidence this coming weekend, after their brilliant performance last week, which improved their chances of winning the 4-Day Domestic Series this season, when they crushed the leaders on the log, the Lions, by ten wickets.
This victory over their neighbours from across the Jukskei River is so much more impressive considering that Grant Thomson and his teammates managed to achieve it in just three days.
The 4-Day Domestic Series will now be paused for about two months to complete the Momentum One-day series, which stars this Friday.
However, after their victory last week, Mandla Mashimbyi’s team is now in second place on the log in the 4-Day Domestic Series, only eight points behind the Lions. This gives them a realistic chance of still being crowned champion in this tournament.
Outstanding bowling by the Titans, in which men such as Hardus Viljoen, Ryan Cartwright and Dayyaan Galiem excelled, assisted by outstanding batting by, among others, Theunis de Bruyn, Grant Thomson and veteran Farhaan Behardien, made this performance possible.
Between Viljoen (3/51 and 2/59), Cartwright (2/42 and 3/46) and Galiem (1/24 and 2/61) they took thirteen wickets in the match.
After the Titans bowlers dismissed the Lions in their first innings for just 168 runs, contributions with the bat by De Bruyn (120), Thomson (87) and Behardien (43) enabled the men from Centurion to build a lead of 224 in their first innings.
Another superb bowling display by the Titans’ bowlers limited the Lions to just 231 runs in their second innings.
It meant that the Titans batsmen had to score only eight runs at the end of the third day’s play to clinch victory. Tony de Zorzi and Victor Mahlangu only needed to face ten balls before De Zorzi scored the winning runs.
It completed a defining win, or defeat in the case of the Lions, who have now lost their last two games to throw the title race wide open.
Two rounds ago, the title appeared to be a foregone conclusion as the Johannesburg-based side held a lead of more than 20 points at the summit.
The Titans’ first match in the Momentum One Tournament will take place this coming Friday, January 31, when they again face the Lions at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The action will start at 13:30.
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