Rain wrecks Titans’ victory chances

Ken Borland

Fast bowler Migael Pretorius claimed wickets with the first two deliveries of the second over and Alfred Mothoa chipped in with a double strike as the Titans made a valiant effort to win their Sunfoil Series match against the Warriors at Willowmoore Park in Benoni yesterday.

The Warriors had been set a tantalising target of 281 in 76 overs, gettable at 3.69 runs per over, and it should have been enough time for the Titans to contemplate bowling them out on a dry and wearing pitch.

And the Titans certainly looked well on track for victory as they reduced the Warriors to a shaky 141/7 before bad light and rain ended play with 34.2 overs remaining.

Mothoa had internationals JonJon Smuts (9) and Simon Harmer (8) both caught behind in quick succession to have the Warriors rocking on 91/6, but Yaseen Vallie (55*) and Sisanda Magala (29) stayed together for an hour to effectively save the game.

Pretorius had Magala caught behind just as the bad weather moved in and took 3/30, while Mothoa took 2/10 in five overs.

The matches between the Knights, the defending champions, and the Cape Cobras in Oudtshoorn, as well as the Dolphins and Highveld Lions at the Oval in Pietermaritzburg, were both rained off with no play possible on the final day.