The Titans have the Warriors on the ropes, and they inched ever closer to their second win of their Four-Day Series campaign at St George’s Park in Gqeberha yesterday.
The Titans need four more wickets to win, while the Warriors have a mountain to climb as they ended day two on 115/6 – and they are still 70 runs behind the visitors’ first-innings score of 342.
Lhuan-dré Pretorius’ maiden first-class century rescued the Titans from a shaky start that saw them being reduced to 84/4 at the fall of Proteas batter Dewald Brevis for 25.
The 18-year-old left-hander Pretorius – who has starred for the SA Under-19 side as an opener previously – was at his destructive best at No 6, but also showed a lot of patience with his knock of 120 coming off 184 balls (14x4, 3x6).
Pretorius and Sibonelo Makhanya (53) scored a bulk of the Titans’ runs in their partnership of 101 before Makhanya was dismissed, trapped lbw by Proteas all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy (1/45), just after crossing the half-century mark.
The Warriors had a lot of ground to make up, and they were paying a heavy price for their poor showing with the bat in the first innings (157).
Pretorius would form part of two other crucial stands with Rivaldo Moonsamy (30) and Dayyaan Galiem (26) to lead them to a potential match-winning score of 342, with a lead of 185.
UPDATE: Lhuan-dre Pretorius goes, getting caught for 120, bringing up his maiden century. Other wickets are Rivaldo Moonsamy (30) and Dayyaan Galiem (26). Our total is 342/8.
— Momentum Multiply Titans (@Titans_Cricket) December 20, 2024
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Beyers Swanepoel (5/54) continued to make his presence felt despite his team’s shortfalls with his ninth career first-class five-wicket haul.
Currently winless in four matches, the Warriors had to make a comeback from their rock-bottom showing with the bat in the first innings and produce a sky-high performance in the second innings.
But it wasn’t to be for the Eastern Cape outfit as their batting woes carried on, and they once again struggled to deal with the visitors’ new-ball bowlers.
Sinethemba Qeshile’s unbeaten knock of 32 was the top score in the second innings, but it could be in vain as the Titans needed only four wickets when stumps were called to secure what would be their second win of the campaign.
Elsewhere, the Dolphins and Boland managed to get close to a full day’s action yesterday following a washed-out day one without a ball being bowled on Thursday at Kingsmead.
Gavin Kaplan’s unbeaten knock of 106 led the way for Boland as they reached stumps on 330/7 before bad light and rain stopped play.
There were useful contributions from openers Pieter Malan (83) and Blayde Capell (50), and their opening stand of 81 got the visitors’ innings off to a good start.
But it was the third-wicket stand of 144 between Malan and Kaplan that handed the visitors the ascendancy heading into day three, especially with the game effectively a three-day contest. | Independent Media Sport