With two days left for play the four-day SA franchise match between the Warriors and the Multiply Titans at Buffalo Park in East London is nicely poised after the Titans reached 279 for seven wickets at stumps on Saturday, a deficit of 129 runs from the home side’s 408 all out.
Resuming at 405-9, the Warriors’ innings lasted a further 1.5 overs and added only three runs on Saturday morning before Basheer-Dean Walters was out for a single, leaving Lesiba Ngoepe unbeaten on 72 which included four sixes and four boundaries.
Ngoepe occupied the crease for 134 minutes and faced 88 balls in a most entertaining knock.
Both Titans openers, Andrea Agathageou and Tony de Zorzi, were soon out, with the Warriors’ pace bowlers, Glenton Stuurman and Walters each tasting success. But then the experienced duo of Jonathan Vandiar and Heinrich Klaasen came together and managed to get the scoreboard moving nicely.
Vandiar in particular was aggressive, driving and pulling with power, and he soon left his international partner behind, racing to 48 before the third wicket fell at 96. He was snapped up off a mistimed pull at square-leg by Eddie Moore after having faced 69 balls, Vandiar stroked his way to nine fours and hammered one six in an awesome innings.
But during the morning session disaster overtook the Warriors. Their medium-paced bowler, Aya Gqamane, pulled up as he was about to deliver his first ball and had to hobble off the field with what was suspected to be a problem with his hamstring. He is unlikely to take any further part with the ball in the match but of course can bat if needed.
The unfortunate mishap put tremendous pressure on the four main bowlers but fortunately the Warriors had a trick up their sleeve.
After Klaasen had progressed to the seventies and he and Farhaan Berhardien had added a solid 67 for the fourth wicket, Warriors skipper Jon-Jon Smuts introduced part-time bowler Ngoepe into the attack.
Both Klaasen and Berhardien were snapped up off Ngoepe’s bowling by some excellent catches by the Warriors fielders and later all-rounder Shaun von Berg also lost his wicket to Ngoepe, caught having a big hit on the leg side. Ngoepe captured three wickets for 27 runs off eight overs and set the Titans back on their heels.
By the tea interval the Titans had reached 199-5 but after tea the scoring rate dropped almost to a crawl as Henry Davids and his partners attempted to consolidate. Only 80 runs were scored in 36 overs after tea, but Davids, on 55 (7x4), lives to fight another day.
He will return Sunday with young Corbin Bosch, who has five runs to his credit...