The Supersport Series match between the Eagles and the Titans played at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein on Sunday ended in a draw.
The Titans declared with their score on 116/2, leaving the Eagles with a total of 176 to chase off only 25 overs to win the match.
Considering that the Eagles are the one-day kings, it was a very daring decision to take, but with six players on national duty the target was just too much for the home team.
Titans captain Martin van Jaarsveld unselfishly declared after reaching his 38th first-class half-century. Van Jaarsveld also scored a magnificent 145 runs in the visiting team’s first innings.
Jacques Rudolph weighed in with 52, his second half-century of the match, in the Eagles’ chase for the runs.
Paul Harris took another three wickets in the home team’s second innings to take his match analysis to 9/141. Harris got rid of opener Ryan Bailey (6), Morne van Wyk (15) and Nicky Boje (5) to help his team restrain the Eagles as they were well on their way to score the required runs.
The Eagles will now travel to Durban to face the Dolphins on Thursday, while the Titans will meet the Highveld Lions in Potchefstroom on Thursday in the Supersport Series.
Another draw
If ever a cricket match promised an exciting finish after meandering along to a draw for the better part of four days, it was the Supersport Series match between the Warriors and the Lions, which ended at Mercedes-Benz Park in East London on Sunday. However, the draw was the final outcome.
Set 131 to win in 15 overs and with the reward of the top-of-the-log position, the Lions bravely went for the runs, but shrewd field-placing by Warriors’ captain Mark Bruyns and the loss of three wickets saw the captains’ handshake signalling the end of the game with 5,4 overs left for play and the Lions 86 runs short of their target.
The match only really came alight after the tea interval when the Lions dismissed the last five Warriors batsmen in quick succession.
The visitors went for the runs but Alviro Petersen was out early on for 15 and then the hard-hitting Zimbabwean Andy Blignaut — who could have swung it the Lions’ way — was out for two.
Earlier, young Burton de Wett batted well to notch up his first franchise century to keep the Lions at bay for most of the day. He stroked 15 fours and hit a six in a patient and valuable innings spread over five hours and 29 minutes.
Bruyns (38) and Steven Pope (45) gave him support, but it was the huge Eugene Moleon (3/39) and spinners Justin Ontong and Werner Coetsee who grabbed the last five wickets. — Sapa