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Centurion - The Titans and the Eagles drifted towards a draw without much enthusiasm on the third day of their SuperSport Series match at Centurion on Saturday.
The young Titans side did well to get to within 24 runs of the Eagles' first innings of 570 for nine declared, built on prodigy Rilee Rossouw's tremendous triple-century, with the home side eventually declaring on 546 for nine 75 minutes after tea.
The Eagles then batted for just three overs before the weather closed in, Reeza Hendricks (1*) surviving to the close in the company of CJ de Villiers (0*), while fellow opener Dean Elgar (5) was trapped in front of the stumps by Hardus Viljoen.
The Titans resumed after tea on 512 for seven, with David Wiese the chief obstacle to the Eagles' progress on 83 not out.
The Eagles did not have to wait long for Wiese's wicket as he swept Ryan Bailey, bowling off-spin, to backward square-leg, having rigged together an impressive 87 off 124 balls.
Tailenders Shaun von Berg (22), Viljoen (13*) and Basheer Walters (0*) then hung around, their stays at the wicket seemingly geared more towards occupation of the crease than run-scoring.
Pace bowler De Villiers finished with three for 110, while left-arm spinner Con de Lange claimed two for 118 in 34 overs.
Although the pitch is still thoroughly unthreatening, there is a small chance of the Titans running through the Eagles' second innings, but a sporting declaration by the visitors is still the best chance of a result.
Victory for the Eagles would lift them up into fourth place on the final log, ahead of the Warriors, while the Titans picked up enough batting bonus points to ensure they will finish second.
The Titans were eyeing the possibility of a first-innings lead as they reached 512 for seven at tea.
Top-class batting by Gulam Bodi (159), Farhaan Behardien (99) and Wiese had taken the Titans within sight of the Eagles' first-innings score.
Behardien resumed after lunch on 83 and narrowly missed out on a century as he pushed a delivery from De Villiers straight back to the bowler.
But by then the Titans were 451 for five and had killed off all hopes of a result by passing the follow-on mark of 421.
The match was rapidly going nowhere, but Pierre Joubert and Mangaliso Mosehle got themselves out cheaply.
Wiese, however, was aiming for a maiden SuperSport Series century and had a wonderful chance of getting it on a flat pitch against largely disinterested bowling.
Bodi had earlier played his most telling innings of the season as he lifted the Titans to 392 for four at lunch.
Bodi batted for six-and-a-half hours and faced 308 balls, having resumed on 109 not out, and he played with more freedom on Saturday morning as he ended with 20 fours and two sixes, repaying the confidence shown in him by coach Chris van Noordwyk through a tough season.
The left-hander eventually fell when he swung De Lange to square-leg, but Behardien then took up the mantle as he continued to bat elegantly and calmly.
The change of ball did earn the Eagles one more wicket, when Cobus Pienaar (24) fiddled outside off stump and edged paceman De Villiers to Hendricks at second slip.
Teams:
Titans:
Blake Snijman, Josh Richards, Jacques Rudolph, Farhaan Behardien, Gulam Bodi, Hardus Viljoen, Mangaliso Mosehle, Cobus Pienaar, Pierre Joubert, Shaun von Berg, Basheer Walters
Eagles:
Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Rilee Rossouw, Boeta Dippenaar, Ryan Bailey, Juanre van Wyk, Johan van der Wath, Con de Lange, CJ de Villiers, Gino Vries, Victor Mpitsang
The young Titans side did well to get to within 24 runs of the Eagles' first innings of 570 for nine declared, built on prodigy Rilee Rossouw's tremendous triple-century, with the home side eventually declaring on 546 for nine 75 minutes after tea.
The Eagles then batted for just three overs before the weather closed in, Reeza Hendricks (1*) surviving to the close in the company of CJ de Villiers (0*), while fellow opener Dean Elgar (5) was trapped in front of the stumps by Hardus Viljoen.
The Titans resumed after tea on 512 for seven, with David Wiese the chief obstacle to the Eagles' progress on 83 not out.
The Eagles did not have to wait long for Wiese's wicket as he swept Ryan Bailey, bowling off-spin, to backward square-leg, having rigged together an impressive 87 off 124 balls.
Tailenders Shaun von Berg (22), Viljoen (13*) and Basheer Walters (0*) then hung around, their stays at the wicket seemingly geared more towards occupation of the crease than run-scoring.
Pace bowler De Villiers finished with three for 110, while left-arm spinner Con de Lange claimed two for 118 in 34 overs.
Although the pitch is still thoroughly unthreatening, there is a small chance of the Titans running through the Eagles' second innings, but a sporting declaration by the visitors is still the best chance of a result.
Victory for the Eagles would lift them up into fourth place on the final log, ahead of the Warriors, while the Titans picked up enough batting bonus points to ensure they will finish second.
The Titans were eyeing the possibility of a first-innings lead as they reached 512 for seven at tea.
Top-class batting by Gulam Bodi (159), Farhaan Behardien (99) and Wiese had taken the Titans within sight of the Eagles' first-innings score.
Behardien resumed after lunch on 83 and narrowly missed out on a century as he pushed a delivery from De Villiers straight back to the bowler.
But by then the Titans were 451 for five and had killed off all hopes of a result by passing the follow-on mark of 421.
The match was rapidly going nowhere, but Pierre Joubert and Mangaliso Mosehle got themselves out cheaply.
Wiese, however, was aiming for a maiden SuperSport Series century and had a wonderful chance of getting it on a flat pitch against largely disinterested bowling.
Bodi had earlier played his most telling innings of the season as he lifted the Titans to 392 for four at lunch.
Bodi batted for six-and-a-half hours and faced 308 balls, having resumed on 109 not out, and he played with more freedom on Saturday morning as he ended with 20 fours and two sixes, repaying the confidence shown in him by coach Chris van Noordwyk through a tough season.
The left-hander eventually fell when he swung De Lange to square-leg, but Behardien then took up the mantle as he continued to bat elegantly and calmly.
The change of ball did earn the Eagles one more wicket, when Cobus Pienaar (24) fiddled outside off stump and edged paceman De Villiers to Hendricks at second slip.
Teams:
Titans:
Blake Snijman, Josh Richards, Jacques Rudolph, Farhaan Behardien, Gulam Bodi, Hardus Viljoen, Mangaliso Mosehle, Cobus Pienaar, Pierre Joubert, Shaun von Berg, Basheer Walters
Eagles:
Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Rilee Rossouw, Boeta Dippenaar, Ryan Bailey, Juanre van Wyk, Johan van der Wath, Con de Lange, CJ de Villiers, Gino Vries, Victor Mpitsang
