Record-breaking Titans pummel Warriors to lift the Momentum ODI Cup

01 April 2017 - 12:16 By Mahlatse Mphahlele‚ Supersport Park‚ Centurion
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AB de Villiers and the team will need to get the tactics right, get execution right, get field placing right.
AB de Villiers and the team will need to get the tactics right, get execution right, get field placing right.
Image: GALLO IMAGES

In the end‚ Titans did not need South African batting superstar AB de Villiers as they pummeled the Warriors by 236 runs with 19 overs to spare to lift the Momentum One Day Cup trophy in fine style on Friday night.

De Villiers‚ who is bound for the Indian Premier League (IPL)‚ was a surprise exclusion from the Titans' lineup with a reported back injury but that did not matter as they registered their second win over the Warriors in a final this season.

Titans‚ who bowled out the Warriors for 189 after 31 overs‚ set an innings record of 425/5 to beat their previous total of 415/3 earlier this season against the Lions thanks to dazzling centuries by openers Aiden Markram and Henry Davids.

Titans captain Albie Morkel won the toss and chose to bat before Markram scored his second century of the campaign and Davids his highest ODI score at this ground with a partnership of 212 runs that took the game away from the visitors.

Davids scored an aggressive 114 off 98 balls in a knock that included 13 boundaries and four maximums before he was dismissed by Jon-Jon Smuts while Markram sizzled with 161 off 123 balls including 11 boundaries and seven maximums.

There were other notable performances for the Titans by Heinrich Klaasen who contributed 60 runs while their innings came to an end with Proteas batsman and IPL-bound Chris Morris unbeaten on 47.

Farhaan Behardien‚ Albie Morkel and Heino Kuhn also played their part with cameos of 17‚ 4 and 6 respectively.

In their chase‚ the Warriors lost two early wickets when Morris removed Gihahn Cloete for just three runs and Lungi Ngidi claimed the valuable scalp of Colin Ackerman for one‚ leaving them on the back foot.

It was not long before they lost captain Jon-Jon Smuts for 13 runs to leave them struggling on 22/3 after Behardien caught the Warriors captain at deep mid-off from the bowling of Ngidi‚ who registered his second wicket of the evening.

Things never got better for the visitors as wickets kept on tumbling and the next to fall was Collin Ackermann after he was bowled over by Junior Dala for 39 as the run rate shot up to 8.9 per over.

The bleeding continued when Lesiba Ngoepe departed for 18 runs after he was caught by Heino Kuhn at long off from the bowling of Tabraiz Shamsi in his first over to leave the Warriors on 105/5 and needing an improbable 321 runs to win.

Mohammed Vallie’s defiant knock of 35 off 28 balls came to an end after 16.3 overs when Behardien caught him at mid-off from the bowling of Junior Dala as they sank deeper into trouble on 116/6.

Morris registered his second wicket by bowling out Andrew Birch and Shamsi later also took his second of the innings with the scalp of Sisanda Magala who was caught at short fine leg by Malusi Siboto.

Jerry Nqolo’s defiant 40 was broken by Markram and Shamsi completed the rout with the wicket of Basheer Walters as they registered the second-largest victory by runs.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport

 

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