Titans batter Dolphins
The Nashua Titans took a massive step towards winning the SuperSport Series title as they reduced the Sunfoil Dolphins to 81 for seven in their follow-on innings at stumps on the second day of their match in Centurion on Friday.
The Titans had bowled the Dolphins out for just 62 in their first innings, the second lowest team total in SuperSport Series history, to take a massive 411-run lead on the first innings.
The lowest total in SuperSport Series history is 28 scored by the-then Eagles, now Knights, against the Warriors in the 2008/09 season.
The visitors did not perform much better in their second innings as they ended the day still trailing the Titans by 330 runs with just three wickets left standing.
The Titans, who began the match trailing the log-leading Cobras by less than a point, have accumulated 11.46 bonus points against the Dolphins while the Cobras have picked up just two bowling points in their match against the Highveld Lions.
The Titans are almost assured of collecting 10 more points for beating the Dolphins while the Cobras have still to bat after two days of their weather-affected match against the Lions. The Cobras would need to score over 500 runs in 100 overs and win their match to have any chance over overhauling the Titans.
The Dolphins, in their first innings, succumbed in the face of the Titans’ pace attack with left-arm quick Rowan Richards with 3-12 off eight overs, Ethy Mbhalati with 3-29 and paceman CJ de Villiers 3-18 all playing their part in enabling the Titans to enforce the follow-on.
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The Dolphins began the day on five for two but they crashed to 33 for six in the blink of an eye with Daryn Smit (0), David Miller (0), Vaughn van Jaarsveld (26) and Cody Chetty (5) all perishing in quick succession.
Bad light and then rain forced a break in play that lasted three hours but when play did resume it did not take the Titans long to wrap up the innings with the last four wickets falling for 16 runs.
Ahmed Amla (15) and Dane Paterson (10) were the only batsmen other than Van Jaarsveld to reach double figures.
The Dolphins’ second innings was almost as poor as their first with Mbhalati shining with the ball once again as he collected 3-27 while Richards chipped with 2-19.
The visitors lost wickets at regular intervals with only Van Jaarsveld (19), Miller (17) and Paterson (11 not out) reaching double figures.
Paterson and Mthokozisi Shezi, who had yet to score, were at the crease when bad light stopped play with 18.4 overs left in the day.
Report Day 1
TEAMS
Nashua Titans - Heino Kuhn (wk), Jacques Rudolph, Henry Davids, Martin van Jaarsveld (capt) , Farhaan Behardien, Faf du Plessis, David Wiese, Paul Harris, CJ de Villiers, Rowan Richards, Ethy Mbhalati.
Sunfoil Dolphins - Imraan Khan (capt), Divan Van Wyk, Vaughn Van Jaarsveld, Ahmed Amla, David Miller, Daryn Smit (wk), Cody Chetty, Brandon Scullard, Imran Tahir, Dane Paterson, Mthokozisi Shezi.
