Titans show their strength with record opening stand

The latter-day Titans who ruled the world from Mount Othrys have bequeathed the crown to their namesakes the Multiply Titans who rule at SuperSport Park.

Full Scorecard

The home side, chasing the VKB Knight’s 262 for five in their opening Momentum One-Day Cup match on Sunday, easily achieved their target to win by nine wickets, with 68 balls to spare, for a bonus point.

The victory was set up by the openers Henry Davids and Tony de Zorsi who treated the home crowd to a batting master class, probably thinking, “anything you can do we can do better”, referring to the record sixth-wicket partnership of 173 between the Knights’ Keegan Petersen and Ryan McLaren earlier in the day.

Davids and De Zorsi combined to put on 179 for the first wicket, by itself a record.

At the outset of the chase the run-rate was 5.26, but by the time the 15th over had come-and-gone it had dipped below 4.7, the 100 coming up off 95-balls.

De Zorsi’s half-century was struck off 62 deliveries. However, no sooner had De Zorsi reached his milestone, Davids brought up his 36th List A 50.

LONE BREAKTHROUGH

And it was all going pear-shaped for the visitors.

The breakthrough came in the 27th over with Davids (84 off 72-balls, 8x4,4x6) holing out to Grant Mokoena at mid-on off Mbuleo Budaza.

De Zorsi continued unperturbed, reaching his second List A century off 113 balls.

It was only fitting that De Zorsi finished it off in emphatic fashion with a mighty six, his sojourn of 169 minutes realising 115 runs as he carried his bat, finding the boundary ropes on 11 occasions and clearing them twice.

Heino Kuhn was also not out on on 52 off 37-balls.

EASY CATCH

Earlier, the home side’s captain, Heinrich Klaasen, won the toss and invited their visitors to take first strike.

On a strip devoid of grass, the Titans’ attack kept the visitors' top order under wraps with some excellent fast bowling and in the fourth over they were duly rewarded when the strapping six-foot-five Lungi Ngidi - returning from injury - struck.

Mokoena wafted at a wide delivery, found the bottom edge and Klaasen took an easy catch behind the stumps.

The loss of Mokoena spurred Andries Gous into attack mode, and Chris Morris was the unfortunate bowler to bear the brunt of his aggression, struck for four boundaries in one over.

However, it was this attitude that cost him his wicket.

DALA GRABS TWO

His indecisiveness about how to deal with a Ngidi bouncer proved to be his downfall.

Gous, looked to pull or hook the bowler, but gloved it down the leg side and Klaasen took a comfortable catch.

Not to be left out, Junior Dala got into the act by taking the wickets of Pite van Biljon and Rudi Second in the 14th over, and the Knights were 60 for four.

Petersen (107 not out) and McLaren came together with the scoreboard showing 88 for five and inspired the revival with their sixth-wicket stand.

Petersen’s maiden List A century came off 132-balls, and included 12 boundaries, and McLaren finished on 80 off 83-balls with seven fours and an almighty six launched into the crowd.

MULTIPLY TITANS: Heinrich Klaasen (capt & wk), Heino Kuhn, Tony de Zorzi, Henry Davids, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Shaun von Berg, Grant Thomson, Lungi Ngidi, Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi

VKB KNIGHTS: Pite van Biljon (capt), Rudi Second (wk), Andries Gous, Grant Mokoena, Keegan Petersen, Patrick Kruger, Ryan McLaren, Tshepo Ntuli, Jacques Snyman, Mbulelo Budaza, Shadley van Schalkwyk