Title No 6 for ruthless Titans

MORRIS WRAPS IT UP WITH FIGURES OF 6/55 Hosts reach target within 20 overs to clinch four-day crown, Cobras come close before rampant Lions let loose in Potch.

The Titans showed the ruthless edge they have been able to develop under coach Mark Boucher as they beat the defending champion Knights by four wickets in Centurion yesterday and did enough to claim the Sunfoil Series title, having been in fourth place when they went into the final round.

The match was turned into a two-day affair by rain, and both teams agreed to declare after 40 overs in the first innings.

The Knights scored 169/7 and the Titans were then able to grab a 100-run lead as Heino Kuhn scored a run-a-ball 86 and Heinrich Klaasen blazed 84 not out off just 56 deliveries.

They then set themselves up for victory yesterday as they reduced the Knights to 94/5, before half-centuries by David Miller and Rudi Second held them up, and Chris Morris then returned to wrap up the innings for 209. Morris finished with 6/55 in 17 overs to win the Man-of-the-Match award.

Set 110 to win, the Titans chased down the target inside 20 overs to claim the four-day title for the sixth time.

The Cape Cobras, in their first year under coach Ashwell Prince, made a valiant effort to snare the crown themselves in Potchefstroom, with new batting sensation Zubayr Hamza and stalwart Andrew Puttick, in his last innings before retiring, making centuries as they left themselves 40 overs to try and bowl out the Highveld Lions.

Unfortunately for them, the Lions batted vigorously and centuries by Stephen Cook and Reeza Hendricks ensured that they lost only one wicket as they chased down a target of 257 to win.

The Warriors, who went into the final round of fixtures on top of the log, were unable to convince the Dolphins to make any sort of arranged declarations in their match in Durban, the Eastern Cape side having to settle for a draw with as many bonus points as possible.

In the end they finished 1.52 points shy of the Titans as Gihahn Cloete’s blazing century led them to 320 for nine declared.

They then bowled out the Dolphins for 211, with Senuran Muthusamy ending a breakthrough all-round season by scoring 84 not out to follow the seven for 83 he took in the Warriors innings.