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Cape Town - Marchant de Lange returned to haunt his former team with a career-best 7/23 helping the VKB Knights bowl the Multiply Titans out for an all-time low of 52 on day two of their Sunfoil Series clash at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.
The Proteas fast bowler, who swapped Pretoria for Bloemfontein during the winter, had a low-key induction in the first innings when he managed 0/40 in 16.1 overs as the defending champions were bowled out for 287 on day one.
But after the visitors were restricted to a disappointing 174 in reply – a deficit of 113 – they needed something special to get back in the game, and De Lange delivered.
The 25-year-old sent down three maidens in a 7.2 over burst that saw him take out key Titans openers Dean Elgar (1) and Heino Kuhn (12), with first-innings hero Duanne Olivier proving a perfect foil from the other end with his 3/30 in 7 overs to leave the defending champions all out in 14.2 overs.
De Lange improved on his previous best of 7/76, which came in the same fixture last season, only then was he in the colours of the Titans. He also took 7/81 on his Test debut for South Africa against Sri Lanka back in 2011.
The performance of the Knights bowlers meant they were set a target of 171 for victory and they then reached stumps on 41/1. Rowan Richards, who took 3/30 in the first innings, was the sole wicket-taker as the visitors were left needing 130 to secure a stunning victory.
