Titans beat Knights by 5 runs
by Bruno Dunn 28 November 2012, 22:44
A phenomenal 166 from 139 deliveries from Henry Davids was enough for the Nashua Titans to beat the Chevrolet Knights by 5 runs in their Momentum One Day Cup match De Beers Diamond Oval in Kimberley on Wednesday.
Full Scorecard – Knights v Titans
Even though Davids was battling with cramp during the latter stages of his innings, he struck 15 fours and five sixes during his knock as he fell just two runs short of the highest individual score in South African domestic cricket, 168 scored by Morne van Wyk of the Knights.
The opening batsman scored freely all around the wicket and he brought up his fifty off 56 balls while he faced 104 to bring up his century.
Davids was finally dismissed when he was run out by keeper Rudi Second after the batsman had walked past a delivery from seamer Dillon du Preez and did not have the energy to regain his ground before the keeper’s direct hit broke the stumps.
Davids shared in a mammoth 149-run opening stand with Heino Kuhn with Kuhn blazing his way to 72 off 69 balls with nine fours and a six.
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Martin van Jaarsveld increased the rate with 38 from 41 deliveries after the Knights had pegged the scoring back. Farhaan Behardien joined Davids at the crease before he was brilliantly caught by Michael Erlank for 23 from 18, from a Du Preez delivery.
Du Preez picked up three for 66 in his 10 overs with all the bowlers being expensive on the night.
The Titans went past 300 as they stuttered towards the end of their innings. Wiese (1), Morkel (5) and Von Berg (0) were all dismissed in the closing overs to help the Titans to 322
Attempting to chase 323 was always going to be tough, but the opening partnership between Erlank and Second of 66 in 63 deliveries laid the perfect foundation. The top six of Erlank (33), Second (36), Rossouw (49) and Pienaar (29) all “got in” but none of them carried on to make a meaningful contribution. When Rossouw fell with the score on 152, followed by Pienaar on 158, the Knights seemed out of the match.
Ryan Bailey and Werner Coetsee came to the crease and a partnership ensued, they were still together in the 40th over, with the Knights requiring 73 runs from the final 10 overs with six wickets in hand.
Roelof van der Merwe bowled a fantastic spell in the middle of the innings of six overs, two for 22. He was handed the ball for a second spell and immediately broke the partnership, Bailey was out for 43 from 44 balls. The next delivery Van der Merwe had his fourth wicket when he bowled Nicky Boje. He completed his 10 over with magnificent figures of five for 40.
When Coetsee was run out for 67 from 81deliveries, there was just too much for the tail to do. Requiring 16 from the last over and nine wickets down, the first four deliveries from Rowan Richards went for 9, the fifth delivery was a wide, the batsmen tried to steal a single and Malusi Siboto was run-out.
The Knights were all-out for 317, falling 6 runs short of their target.
TITANS: H Davids, HG Kuhn (wk), M Mosehle, M van Jaarsveld*, F Behardien, JA Morkel, D Wiese, RE van der Merwe, S von Berg, RR Richards, MW Olivier
KNIGHTS: MN Erlank, RS Second†, WL Coetsee, RR Rossouw, RT Bailey, AJ Pienaar, N Boje, JJ van der Wath*, D du Preez, SC van Schalkwyk, MP Siboto
