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Titans edge Lions in last-ball thriller in CSA T20 Challenge

cricket19 April 2024 20:03| © SuperSport
By:Ross Roche
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The Momentum Multiply Titans clinched a thrilling two-wicket win over the DP World Lions, thanks to a scrambled bye off the last ball of their CSA T20 Challenge match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday night.

Corbin Bosch, 19* off 14 (3x4) was the hero as he hit the bulk of the 10 runs needed off the final over to win, but it was a breathless finish as he missed the final ball, but keeper Ryan Rickelton missed the run-out opportunity on Lungi Ngidi (2*), and bowler Codi Yusuf also missed as he tried to get Bosch, as the Titans just made it home.

The Titans won the toss and chose to bowl, with the Lions managing a very chaseable 154/8 in their 20 overs, before the hosts didn’t have a single batter reach 30 runs, but had enough cameos to get them to an exciting win.

The chase got off to a very good start as openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius (29) and Rivaldo Moonsamy, 24 off 15 (3x4, 1x6), shared 49 for the first wicket, which included 14 coming off the fifth over bowled by Evan Jones.

However, in the final over of the powerplay the Lions made the breakthrough as the batters attempted a quick single, but the ball went to Temba Bavuma who threw down the stumps to send Moonsamy on his way, with the score 50/1 at the end of it.

This began the Lions' fightback as Pretorius tried to clear long-on but found Jones on the fence off Wiaan Mulder, Jack Lees (5) was run out by some smart fielding from Jones, and Sibonelo Makhanya (4) edged Yusuf to Rickelton as they fell to 71/4 in the ninth over.

Dayyaan Galiem, 26 off 12, joined Neil Brand (29) at the crease and played a superb cameo as he dominated a 34-run stand off 20 balls, striking two big sixes and three fours as he tried to get his side back in the game.

But just as they were taking charge Nqaba Peter stepped up to turn the game again, bowling Galiem with a quicker ball, and then yorking David Wiese (2) with the double strike reducing the Titans to 109/6 after 15 overs.

Brand and Junior Dala (8) were both caught in the deep off Jones in the 18th over, as the Titans slipped to 135/8, leading to the thrilling finish with Bosch edging them over the line.

TITANS RESTRICT LIONS

In the first innings it was a mixture of decent bowling and fielding from the hosts that never allowed the visitors to get away from them, as they picked up regular wickets throughout the innings.

Reeza Hendricks looked good in top scoring with 48 off 35 balls (5x4, 1x6), while Ngidi, 2-26, and Bosch, 2=42, were the top wicket takers.

The Lions' innings got off to a poor start as in-form Rickelton (6) inside edged Galiem to keeper Pretorius at the start of the third over and Rassie van der Dussen (6) was pinned LBW by Wiese towards the end of the fourth leaving them on 21/2.

Bavuma, 21 off 13 (2x4, 1x6), and Hendricks looked to revive the innings with a positive 56-run third-wicket stand off 31 balls.

Bavuma looked in decent nick, but just as they were looking to kick on he tried to scoop Ngidi, only to send an easy catch to Tabraiz Shamsi at short fine leg, with the score 67/3 after nine overs.

The 10th over was a big one as Hendricks took centre stage, cracking two fours and a six off Bosch in an over that cost 16 runs, which took the Lions to 83/3 at the halfway mark.

But Hendricks was unfortunate to fall in the next over just two runs shy of what would have been a deserved half century, trapped LBW by Shamsi, despite the ball looking like it was sliding down leg, as they slipped to 88/4.

Mulder (25) and Delano Potgieter (21) combined to add 27 to the score, and with Potgieter looking dangerous having hit a four and two big sixes, he was run out by his partner.

Potgieter missed a slower delivery from Dala, with the ball going straight to the keeper and Mulder set off for a dangerous bye, only for Pretorius to whip off his glove and superbly hit the non-striker's stumps to send Potgieter on his way.

Jones (5) didn’t last long before lobbing Ngidi to Wiese on the off side as the Lions slipped to 124/6 at the start of the 17th.

Bosch then accounted for the last two wickets as he brilliantly caught Mulder in his follow through at the end of the 18th and had Bjorn Fortuin (11) caught in the deep off the last ball of the innings.

MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk), Rivaldo Moonsamy, Jack Lees, Sibonelo Makhanya, Neil Brand (capt), David Wiese, Dayyaan Galiem, Corbin Bosch, Junior Dala, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi

DP WORLD LIONS: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Wiaan Mulder, Delano Potgieter, Evan Jones, Bjorn Fortuin (capt), Codi Yusuf, Tshepo Moreki, Nqaba Peter

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