Titans reclaim second place
by Pete le Grange 28 February 2013, 21:25
The Nashua Titans reclaimed second place on the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge log with a comfortable six-wicket win over the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Thursday night.
Full Scorecard – Titans v Cape Cobras
After some excellent bowling by Ethy Mbhalati and Albie Morkel, Jacques Rudolph guided the Titans to the brink of victory.
The Titans managed to keep the Cobras in check for most of their innings. The PowerPlay saw just 15 runs on the board with two wickets.
Mbhalati finished with 2-15 in his four overs, despite being hit for a dozen when he returned for his last over. Morkel managed even better figures of 2-14 and Alfonso Thomas conceded only 22 runs off his allotment, only allowing seven in the final over of the innings.
Dane Vilas was the stand-out batsman by far, finishing unbeaten on 59 off 44 balls with six fours and two sixes. He took a boundary off the first ball he faced. This was his second fifty of the campaign, and he has yet to be dismissed for under 40.
The Titans conceded 12 extras, five of these coming via wides in the opening over by Charl Langeveldt with a wayward delivery. Rudolph helped himself to a boundary off the resulting extra ball.
At the other end, Beuran Hendricks made the breakthrough by bowling Tumo Bodibe, but did go to the ropes twice in his opening over. He came back to dismiss Roelof van der Merwe with the first ball of his next spell, but the foundation had been laid.
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The Cobras were never able to build pressure, with the required rate seldom exceeding the run-a-ball mark. Rudolph was able to play cautiously when needed, eventually being dismissed with just 14 runs needed. His 49 came off 56 balls, including six fours.
Martin van Jaarsveld contributed a quick 24, and Albie Morkel put the result beyond doubt with a towering six off Azhar Mahmood in the penultimate over. The victory came with eight balls to spare, as comfortable as it gets in this format.
Hendricks finished with the best figures of 2-21. Johann Louw conceded just 22 and both Mahmood and Langeveldt returned good figures, but their efforts were not sufficient on the night.
Rudolph was named as the Ram Slammer for his 49, while the Delivery of the Day award went to Mbhalati.
The Titans now leapfrog the Cobras to go back into second place while the coastal team slips back to third place.
NASHUA TITANS: Jacques Rudolph, Tumo Bodibe, Roelof van der Merwe, Mangaliso Mosehle, Martin van Jaarsveld (captain), David Wiese, Albie Morkel, Alfonso Thomas, Marchant de Lange, Eden Links and Ethy Mbhalati
NASHUA MOBILE CAPE COBRAS: Richard Levi, Stiaan van Zyl, Owais Shah, Yaseen Vallie, Dane Vilas (captain), Qaasim Adams, Azhar Mahmood, Johann Louw, Dane Piedt, Charl Langeveldt and Beuran Hendricks
