Publications
Partners
Port Elizabeth - Opener Blake Snijman stroked an unbeaten, majestic hundred to help the Titans build a commanding lead in their SuperSport Series cricket match against the Chevrolet Warriors in Port Elizabeth on Friday.
When stumps were drawn at the conclusion of the third day's play, the Titans had reached 240 for the loss of four wickets in their second innings, holding an overall lead of 213 with a day left.
Helped in part by some poor bowling by the homeside, Snijman dominated the afternoon's proceedings and eventually reached his second SuperSport Series century with a boundary behind square. He has reached the boundary 17 times and cleared it twice so far in his unbeaten 114.
It was a classy innings that was well-supported by fellow opener Pieter Malan who clubbed 65 off 92 balls including 10 fours and six.
The Warriors' bowlers, apart from Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Rusty Theron, were well below the required standard and produced a host of bad balls.
With both sides keen to eke a result out of the contest, the Titans will be looking to set the Warriors an appealing target when play resumes on Saturday.
Snijman and Heino Kuhn (13) will continue that challenge.
Earlier in the day, an aggressive 72 by Wayne Parnell enabled the Warriors to reach 370, thereby establishing a narrow lead of 27 runs.
The homeside started the day on 268 for five with Johan Botha (31) and Craig Thyssen (35) at the crease and still 75 runs behind the Titans' first innings total of 343. The duo could add only a further 23 runs before Botha mis-timed a drive off Ethy Mbhalati to Albie Morkel at mid-off. He made 47 off 78 balls with eight boundaries.
Morkel was again in the action a few balls later but this time as the bowler when he found the edge of Thyssen's bat through to wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn. Thyssen's patient innings of 41 was put together off 127 balls and he hit four fours and two sixes.
Rusty Theron (two) looked unhappy when he was dismissed, adjudged to have got something on a nasty, sharply rising delivery from Titans skipper Pierre Joubert . That left the Warriors at 307 for eight and still 36 runs adrift.
In the meantime, Parnell had been playing some delightful strokes and was desperately in search of someone to hang around with him. Garnett Kruger (nought) managed that for 13 balls but eventually had his middle-stump uprooted by Farhaan Behardien.
However, Parnell found a willing mate in number 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe and the pair proceeded to frustrate the Titans bowlers to no end.
They managed to post 55 runs for the 10th wicket in just under an hour with Tsotsobe contributing only four runs as the Warriors posted 370 all out.
Parnell played freely against the visiting attack, also shielding Tsotsobe whenever necessary. He hit 12 fours in his 94-ball innings.
Morkel and Behardien both picked up four wickets for the Titans.
