South Africa: Titans win the Momentum Cup after a record performance

A record score for the Titans was enough to hand them the Momentum Cup after an unprecedented stand of 212 runs from their openers Aiden Markram, and Henry Davids led them to a total of 425/5, the highest score in the history of South African Franchise cricket.

Titans’ had entered the finals of the Tournament after a string of excellent performances to lead the standings after the initial phase of the competition.

Titans’ were further boosted with the form of their leading all-rounder Chris Morris and their key batsman AB de Villiers who made Titans’ progress to the finals with ease. Playing the finals in the Supersport Park, which also is the home ground of their opposition Warriors seemed to be a complex job.

Titans were on the receiving end of bad news just before the toss, with their key player AB de Villiers ruled out of the match with a back injury. The injury scare was least expected by Mark Boucher and co, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Royal Challengers Bangalore going to deep shock.

The away side’s skipper Albie Morkel won the toss and elected to bat in batting-friendly conditions at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

The Openers got off to a flying start reaching 100 runs in just the 17th over of the innings, as opener Markram reached to his century with eight boundaries and two sixes. In the next 27 deliveries, the youngster raced off with five sixes and three boundaries to go past the iconic 150.

His fellow partner Davids too took off like Markram and got to his hundred, which also was his third in the competition off just 86 balls with eleven boundaries and four sixes. Davids reached his century when his fellow-partner was still at 57 runs.

Warriors skipper JJ Smuts broke the opening partnership with the wicket of Davids, who scored 114 runs in just 98 balls at a strike rate of 116.32. Klassen, who replaced AB de Villiers entered the crease with the Titans score reading 211/1.

Markram was dismissed after a registering his second highest score of the Tournament of 161 runs, off just 123 balls with eleven boundaries and seven sixes after an iconic 183 runs against the Lions.

Klassen had blasted his 50 runs off just 41 balls, a knock proud worthy before being dismissed after a mix-up with batting partner Behardien. Nortje’s double strike of Albie Morkel and Behardien in the 48th over dented the Titans’ hope of reaching the landmark total of 400 runs.

Chris Morris walked out to bat with 14 deliveries remaining in the innings alongside Kuhn. Morris plundered the bowling to all sides of the park with six sixes and a boundary which helped him reach 47 runs off just 12 balls. The duo added 52 runs for the sixth wicket off just 14 balls, helping the Titans post 400+ for the third time this season.

A mammoth chase was in the hands of the Warriors’ openers JJ Smuts Gihahn Cloete, who were also Warrior’s leading run-scorers in the competition. Cloete was dismissed by Morris in just the second over of the innings. Colin Ingram too followed suit edging one off Ngidi in the subsequent over.

Ngidi struck once again in his next over with the dismissal of the Warriors’ captain Smuts, who was dismissed for a 12 ball- 13 balls. Colin Ackermann and Yaseen Valie’s spirited partnership of 47 runs came to a halt when the former was dismissed by Junior Dala with the Warriors’ score reading 69/4.

Shamsi, too joined the party with the wicket of Ngoepe before Junior Dala struck again with the vital wicket of Valie, who was dismissed for a well-made 35 runs. The Warriors’ slumped from 122/6 to 189 all out in the span of next 14 overs leaving the Titans’ to celebrate early in the night.

A Titans’ line-up void of AB de Villiers put up a scintillating display of a cricket match with a 236 run victory over the host’s Warriors.

Aiden Markram was announced as the Man of the Match following his outstanding performance of 161 runs and his wicket of Nqolo with the ball.

Brief Scores:
Titans 425/5 in 50 overs (Aiden Markram 161 runs, Anrich Nortje 2/62)

Warriors 189 all out in 31 overs (Jerry Nqolo 40 runs, Tabraiz Shamsi 3/31)