Cape Town - Outstanding bowling from Malusi Siboto enabled the Titans to hold the advantage over the Warriors at the halfway stage of their Sunfoil Series clash at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Saturday.
The seamer sent down six maidens in a spell of two for 11 in 12 overs as the visitors were left rattled on 158 for five by the time stumps were drawn early on day two – trailing by 163. Less than 60 overs were possible due first to rain and then bad light.
This was in reply to the home side’s 321 all out earlier when Siboto came back to bat after retiring hurt on day one.
The early part of the day did not go the Titans way as they lost their last three wickets for 11 runs, with Anrich Nortje ending with two for 49. The pick of the bowlers was Kolpak player Simon Harmer, playing his first match of the term after returning from England, taking four for 99.
The Warriors lost in-form opener Eddie Moore (4) and Gihahn Cloete (2) early thanks to a wicket each from Corbin Bosch (1/26) and Migael Pretorius (1/36).
That left the score on six for two, but Yaseen Vallie hit 64 (86 balls, 10 fours, 1 six) and another Kolpak man Colin Ackermann, also in his first game of 2017/18, made 54 (100 balls, 8 fours) in a 102-run third-wicket stand to stabilise the innings.
But Siboto’s tidy spell rocked the away side, before captain Jon-Jon Smuts was left fighting on 23 when the day was ended early by rain.