Former Titans player sink them in Momentum One Cup
The Titans, who were the defending champions in the Momentum One-Day Cup this season, were unceremoniously eliminated from the tournament this past weekend and a former bowler of the team played a big part in their downfall.
Shaun von Berg came back to haunt his former team with a maiden career five-for that dumped defending champions, the Titans, out of the Momentum One-Day Cup at the expense of the Knights, who won a one-sided clash by seven wickets in Centurion on Sunday.
After the Titans’ good six-wicket win over the Cape Cobras in Benoni last Wednesday, the Pretorians’ fate was in their own hands to be able to defend their title as champions in this tournament and they just had to win Sunday’s final league clash against the Knights to book their place in the semi-final.
Unfortunately, the opposite was also true and a defeat against the Knights would ensure that the men from Bloemfontein qualify for the semi-final, as indeed happened.
Von Berg, a SuperSport Park favourite for most of his career and former Hoërskool Centurion pupil, claimed his best figures on this level of 5/33 to help dismiss the home side for a paltry 138, before another former local boy, Jacques Snyman, who matriculated at Hoërskool Menlopark, struck a powerful 35 to lead the visitors to the target in just 30,1 overs for a bonus-point win.
They got there with a few late bumps, although that mattered little as victory was the most important factor for both teams heading into what was effectively a quarter-final.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Knights, who after four matches of the 2019/20 campaign were without a win.
On Sunday they won the toss and opted to bowl in Centurion, with their bowlers doing the business in style.
Match top-scorer Tony de Zorzi (61 off 79 balls) did hand the hosts a good start as they reached 58 for one in the 14th over. But things went horribly wrong from there, with Von Berg running riot as he beat his previous best figures of 4/17.
Both the spinner and Mbulelo Budaza (3/26), who provided fine support along with Marco Jansen (2/30), moved to the top of the competition’ wicket-takers column with 18 wickets each.
The Knights raced out of the blocks in reply, with Snyman and Andies Gous (25) adding 59 for the opening wicket, before Keegan Petersen (20) helped them reach 102 for two.
A cluster of wickets then fell – two each to Khwezi Gumede (2/24), Matthew Arnold (2/43) and Dayyan Galiem (2/37) – but Grant Mokoena (18 not out) helped the men from Bloemfontein to get over the line.
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