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DAY 2: Five-star Ndwadwa gives Titans an edge over Knights

Posted on by Bobb
DAY 2: Five-star Ndwadwa gives Titans an edge over Knights

Tsepo Ndwadwa © Gallo Images

Momentum Multiply Titans spinner Tshepo Ndwandwa took five wickets to help dismantle the Knights for 193, giving his team the lead after the second day of the CSA 4-day series match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.

The Titans responded with a 51-3 deadlock.

With a healthy 114-run lead, the home side’s second innings started poorly as they lost three early wickets before they rallied to finish the day with a 165-run lead.

Matthew Pollard sparked the Knights’ comeback, striking out opener Joshua van Heerden (7), pinning Keegan Petersen (2) LBW and catching Dewald Brevis (4) Patrick Botha to cut the Titans’ lead to 31-3.

But captain Neil Brand (27*) and Jedley van Breeses (7*) then battened down the hatches and saw the hosts through to the end without further trouble.

At the start of the tea session, the Knights resumed their first innings at 157-8, looking to get as many runs as possible to reduce the Titans’ 307-run deficit in their first innings.

Tiaan van Vuuren (29) played a key role in helping them almost reach 200 as he shared a 29-run ninth-wicket stand with Dane Piedt (16) before the Knights captain was caught by Petersen off the bowling of Merrick Brett .

Van Vuuren also shared a 19-run last-wicket partnership with Malusi Siboto (2*) before the former was out last, caught by Brevis off Tshepo Ndwandwa.

Spinner Ndwadwa was the Titans’ star bowler with figures of 5-33, while Merrick Brett (3-46) and Matthew Boast (2-33) supported him well.

TITANS SPINNER DESTROYS RIOT

Earlier in the day, the Knights went into lunch in a good position at 109-3, but endured a torrid afternoon session, losing five wickets and adding just 48 runs.

After the lunch break, Diane Forrester (28) and Botha (31) resumed their innings and extended their fourth-wicket partnership to 41 runs.

Forrester was then the first wicket of the session, trapped LBW by Brett, leaving his side 127–4.

Botha was expected to be needed if the Knights were going to fight back, but he was the next to fall, stumped by wicketkeeper Rivaldo Moonsamy after he fell over the Ndwandwe wicket, triggering the collapse of four wickets for five runs.

Ndwandwa was a riotous bowler as he bowled Pollard (4), Garnett Tarr (2) was caught by Corbin Bosch and Aaron Fangiso was caught by Van Breesis for a duck on the fifth ball as they slumped to 145-8 before Van Vuuren and Piedt took them in side of tea.

In the morning session, the Knights essentially started their innings from scratch after bowling out the Titans for 307 at the end of the first day and going through the final over of the day without scoring or losing a wicket.

Opener Isaac Dickgale (5) was the first to fall in the third over, caught by Van Breesis bowling Boast for 9-1.

Lesego Senokwane (34) and Aubrey Swanepoel (28) combined for a decent 53-run stand for the second wicket, with Swanepoel being the aggressor as he hit six boundaries in his 27-ball stay before he edged Brett to wicketkeeper Munsamy to leave them on the field. 62-2.

Senokwane and Forrester could only add 24 to the total before Bwast bowled the first ball, leaving Forrester and Botha to dine on their side.

IMPULSE MULTIPLY THE TITANS: Neil Brand (captain), Joshua van Heerden, Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Jedley van Breeses, Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Andile Pheluquayo, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Boast, Junior Dala, Tsepo Ndwandwa

KNIGHTS: Isaac Dickgale, Lesego Senokwane, Garnett Tarr (wk), Aubrey Swanepoel, Diane Forrester, Patrick Botha, Tiaan van Vuuren, Matthew Pollard, Aaron Pangiso, Dane Piedt (capt), Malusi Siboto