MiWay T20 Challenge
Titans win big-hitting clash
2010-02-07 19:28
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Gulam Bodi (Gallo Images)
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Centurion - An undefeated 88 by Gulam Bodi and two wickets off consecutive balls by Albie Morkel helped the Titans to beat defending champions, the Cape Cobras, by 17 runs in an exciting, rain-interrupted Standard Bank Pro20 match at Supersport Park on Sunday.
The Cobras were set a target of 140 off 12 overs, after a dramatic thunderstorm interrupted play for just over an hour and a half.
Andrew Puttick made his intentions clear from the start, scoring nine runs off the first three balls, but Basheer Walters got his revenge when Puttick skied the fourth delivery and was neatly caught by Walters off his own bowling. Walters struck again in his next over, when Henry Davids was caught by Farhaan Behardien for 11.
Herschelle Gibbs's arrival was greeted with cheers, and he responded by hitting five sixes and two boundaries on his way to 48. He and Robin Peterson took the score to 77 before Peterson was caught on the boundary by Jacques Rudolph off Roelof van der Merwe for 10.
Skipper Pierre Joubert got rid of dangerman Gibbs, and was miserly in his three overs, conceding just 19 runs.
Once Gibbs had gone, a Cobras victory became increasingly unlikely as the Titans squeezed the life out of the visitors, but when Morkel took the wickets of Richard Levi and Justin Ontong off successful balls both caught at midwicket by Gulam Bodi the run rate started climbing and the Centurion crowd, who had stayed on despite the rain, were able to celebrate.
The Cobras scored 122 for six, giving the Titans a 17-run Duckworth-Lewis adjusted victory.
Earlier, Bodi smashed six sixes and seven fours as he compiled his highest Pro20 total of 88 off 43 deliveries to take the Titans to a challenging 136 for one off 12 overs, after the rain delay.
Bodi and Blake Snijman shared a partnership of 70 before Snijman was out leg before wicket to Robin Peterson for 27. The Titans first 50 came off 28 balls, and Bodis half century off 31.
Bodi and Francois du Plessis put on an unbeaten 66 for the second wicket, with Bodi the senior partner. When Bodi hit a six to bring up their 50 partnership, which came off just 22 balls, Bodi had contributed 41 of the runs. Du Plessis finished not out on 13.
Peterson was the only Cobras bowler to take a wicket, but Rory Kleinveldt was the most economical, conceding just 10 runs off his two overs. Charl Langeveldt newly recalled to the national one-day international squad was the most expensive, with his three overs going for 44 runs.