Titans trample over Tuskers, Warriors and Lions share spoils

TUSKERS V TITANS

Neil Brand and Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored impressive centuries to set the Momentum Multiply Titans up for a comfortable six-wicket win over the Moothee Ram Tuskers in their CSA 4-day Series match at the Pietermaritzburg Oval on Wednesday.

Brand scored an imperious 178, while Pretorius struck a brisk 97-ball 119 as they shepherded the Titans to 541 in their reply to the Tuskers’ first-innings score of 286.

The Titans continued their great work with the ball and bundled them out for 333 in the third innings.

That left the Titans with a 79-run target. They scored 79-4 to claim victory.

Malcolm Nofal (92) and Sean Gilson (73) were the Tuskers’ top batters after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat first.

Janco Smit, who bagged a four-wicket haul, led the Titans’ bowling attack as they ensured that the hosts did not mount an impressive first-innings total.

Smith finished the innings with four wickets for 46 runs in 20 overs.

Keegan Petersen (85) and Dayyaan Galiem (56*) supported Brand and Pretorius’ centuries with impressive half-centuries as the Titans took control of the contest.

Ziyaad Abrahams claimed a five-wicket haul for the Tuskers, but his effort wasn’t enough to stop the men from Pretoria from mounting a mammoth total.

Abrahams took five wickets for 86 runs in 22 overs in the innings.

Simon Harmer then bagged a four-wicket haul as the Titans limited the Tuskers to a chaseable total.

Matthew Urquhart (98) and Andile Mogakane (94) recorded half-centuries for the Tuskers, but their efforts didn’t help the hosts much.

Sibonelo Makhanya (16*) and Rivaldo Moonsamy (10*) were in the middle when the Titans crossed the finishing line.

WARRIORS V LIONS

The Dafabet Warriors and DP World Lions captain, Matthew de Villiers and Dominic Hendricks, shook hands on Wednesday afternoon after their contest at St George’s Park in Gqeberha was declared a draw.

The Lions, who won the toss and chose to bat first, scored 305 runs in the first innings.

The Warriors replied with a total of 108 runs.

The Lions marched to 219-5d in the third innings. The hosts were on 116-3 when the match was stopped due to bad light just before the tea interval.

Bjorn Fortuin rescued the Lions in the first innings with a sensational unbeaten 112 from 182 balls after their top order had failed to construct a solid foundation.

Josh Richards (37) and Delano Potgieter (34) were the only top seven batters who got past the 30-run mark.

Matthew Boast was the pick of the bowlers for the Warriors in the innings with five wickets for 90 runs in 23 overs.

The Lions’ Lutho Sipamla answered with a five-wicket haul of his own for the visitors in the Warriors’ first innings.

He finished the innings with five wickets for 53 runs in 17 overs.

JP King, who scored a patient 54 from 101 balls, was the Warriors’ best batter in their reply.

Patrick Kruger (45) and Duanne Olivier (33) were the only other batters who went past the 30-run mark.

Joshua Richards (52) and Wiaan Mulder (89*) scored brilliant half-centuries as the Lions charged to what they believed to be a winning total.

The Warriors, whose innings were truncated by poor lighting, had JP King (23*) and Sinethemba Qeshile (16*) in the middle.

The Warriors’ Matthew Boast was the best bowler in the contest with seven wickets for 136 in 35 overs across two innings.

Bjorn Fortuin, who finished the match with five wickets for 57 runs in 37 overs across two innings, was the pick of the bowlers for the Lions.