Mgijima keeps Cobras top in CSA T20

Aviwe Mgijima struck a wonderful unbeaten half century to guide the WSB Cape Cobras to a three-wicket victory over the Multiply Titans in a vital CSA T20 Challenge match at Eurolux Boland Park on Wednesday evening.

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Man of the match Mgijima struck three boundaries and three towering sixes off Henry Davids (1-0-21-0) to end unbeaten on 55 from 30 deliveries while Junior Dala (3-0-32-3) caused some angst among the home faithful as the Cobras crossed the line, ending on 183 for seven with seven balls to spare.

ICYMI | COBRAS IN POLE POSITION

As the #CSAT20Challenge ???? towards the ??, @AviweMgijima ’s heroics helped his side retain their top spot at on the table when his side beat the Titans at Boland Park yesterday.

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— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) April 25, 2019

The Titans, who were asked to bat first by Rory Kleinveldt, posted a commanding 182 for three with Tony de Zorzi scoring 70 off 47 balls with four boundaries and three maximums and 50 from Theunis de Bruyn, struck off 37 balls with four fours and a six.

Captain Farhaan Behardien boosted the total with a spectacular unbeaten 39 off only 18 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.

The home side's chase began as it has all season with Hashim Amla (3) being trapped leg before in the third over by the spin of Gregory Mahlokwana (4-0-37-1) but Janneman Malan (37) and David Bedingham (37) saw to it that the Cobras got ahead of the required rate as the pair struck a wonderful 63 for the second wicket off 40 deliveries but then the Cobras lost three wickets in the space of nine balls to send the Paarl crowd into a spate of silence.

Malan was the first to go, holing out to Diego Rosier on the long-off boundary off the bowling of Shaun von Berg, with the spinner ending with 1-22 from his four overs.

The next over, bowled by Dala, was crucial for the visitors as they snapped up Bedingham, and three balls later, the key wicket of Kyle Verreynne without scoring.

Mgijima though, along with Jason Smith (28) saw to it that the hosts got back on track with the pair posting 59 runs from only 34 balls but then the Cobras started to wobble again.

Smith was found short of his crease attempting a quick run as Mahlokwana and Grant Thomson (3-0-26-0) combined to see Smith run out.

The home side then lost the wickets of George Linde (5) and Vernon Philander (0) before Kleinveldt (6 not out) struck the winning runs off the penultimate ball of the penultimate over to keep the Cobras top of the CSA T20 Challenge log.

Earlier, the visitors had a quiet start with Davids (13) and De Zorzi only adding 42 runs in the Power Play for the loss of Davids's wicket, wonderfully bowled by a yorker from Tladi Bokako (4-0-47-2).

But De Zorzi and De Bruyn combined well for the second wicket, adding 86 runs off only 59 deliveries with the pair bringing up their 50-run stand off 39 balls.Bokako's return to the attack brought about the second wicket as he had De Zorzi edging behind to Verreynne but that brough Behardien to the crease and the Titan's captain duly provided, smashing three fours and two sixes from only 18 balls before Philander (4-0-46-1) had the Proteas World Cup bound batsman clean bowled, after facing 37 balls.

With only two rounds left before the playoffs, the Cobras next host the bizhub Highveld Lions on Friday at PPC Newlands, who went down to the Warriors by nine wickets in Johannesburg, while the Titans will look to regain their composure as they host the VKB Knights at SuperSport Park in Centurion, also on Friday.

WSB CAPE COBRAS: Hashim Amla, Janneman Malan, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Jason Smith, Aviwe Mgijima, George Linde, Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt (capt), Tladi Bokako, Nkululeko Serame.

MULTIPLY TITANS: Toni de Zorzi, Henry Davids, Theunis de Bruyn, Diego Rosier, Farhaan Behardien (capt), Rubin Hermann (wk), Grant Thomson, Shaun von Berg, Gregory Mahlokwana, Eldred Hawken, Junior Dala.