The Titans confirmed their position as strong MTN Championship contenders when they began their limited overs domestic season with a well constructed four-wicket win over the Cape Cobras at Supersport Park on Friday.
The home side made reaching the target of 237, posted by the visitors, seem easy as they cantered to victory, hardly breaking into a sweat, guided by captain Gerald Dros and Johann Myburgh.
Dros ended the evening’s proceedings with 61 runs with Myburgh adding a supportive 26 runs to see the Titans gain that all-important first victory of the season.
However, the cornerstone of the Titans innings had been laid by a solid and hard-hitting 53-run partnership between Titans openers AB de Villiers and Albie Morkel.
So impatient were De Villiers and Morkel that they posted the half century for the Titans in 39 balls and 27 minutes.
With the Titans set for a rather easy victory, if their wickets stayed intact, an array of immature and unnecessary shots saw the Titans slump to 92-3 in the 14th over as Morkel was first to go, followed by Faf du Plessis, who was caught by JP Duminy off Vernon Philander for 15 runs. De Villiers went after scoring 40 runs from 30 balls, which included five fours and two sixes.
Justin Kemp and Dros quickly steered the Titans towards victory with their 78-run partnership before Kemp succumbed for 47 runs with the Titans at 170-4 after 25 overs.
Myburgh’s innings proved vital for the Titans as they went through a dizzy spell in the dying moments of the game when Dros was caught behind by Thami Tsolekile off Con de Lange and Farhaan also fell in the same over after being trapped lbw for a duck.
Myburgh eventually hit the winning runs with a mighty cover drive off Adam Bacher.
Earlier in the day, the Cobras were sent in to bat by Dros.
But Dros’s decision quickly turned from joy to misery as Herschelle Gibbs tore into the heart of the Titans’ bowling attack after Cobras debutant and cricket journeyman Bacher succumbed to Andre Nel in the second ball of the match.
Bacher was slow to react to a Nel in-swinger that saw him drag the ball on to his own stumps.
However, Gibbs, fighting to find form before the national team leaves for India for the ICC Champions Trophy, bludgeoned the Titans into all corners of the park, playing every stroke in the book.
Gibbs, along with Andrew Puttick, put on a steady 79-run partnership before Puttick was caught behind by De Villiers off Alfonso Thomas.
The Titan-bashing was still not over for Gibbs as he continued his ruthless massacre, partnered by Duminy, which saw the Cobras past the 100 run mark before Gibbs, on 62 runs, was dubiously adjudged lbw off the bowling of Thomas in the 18th over with the Cobras looking healthy at 105-3.
Gibbs top scored for the Cobras with 64 runs, hitting seven fours and four sixes off just 60 balls.
After the departure of Gibbs, the wheels came off the Cobras’ innings as the middle order crumbled under a courageous bowling spell from Albie Morkel, who had suffered near irreparable damage from the bat of Gibbs.
Duminy did not last long and was caught behind by De Villiers off Nel with the Cobras only having added six runs since the demise of Gibbs.
Four runs later Cobras skipper Tsolekile also fell to Morkel, caught behind by De Villiers.
Ashwell Prince also could not save what looked like a certain sinking Cobras ship and was caught by Kemp off Morkel, leaving the visitors stranded at 116-5.
Fortunately for the Cobras their tail wagged, led by a brutal batting display from De Lange, who was eventually run out on 63 runs, which he hit off 72 balls.
De Lange was given a helping hand by Vernon Philander(25) and Rory Kleinveldt, who smashed 26 runs of 16 balls to see the Cobras past the 200 run mark.
Kleinveldt was the last Cobra player to head for the pavilion after trying to hook Thomas in the last ball of the innings, but instead of the ball landing on the grass embankments ,it landed in the hands of Nel. — Sapa