Tag: The Unlimited Titans

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Kyle Simmonds Crowned Overall Division 1 SACA MVP

The 2025/26 domestic cricket season concludes with Western Province all-rounder Kyle Simmonds named Division 1 Overall SACA MVP. Simmonds earned…

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Liam Alder Named Overall SACA MVP for Domestic Division 2

Following the completion of all domestic fixtures, Liam Alder of the Garden Route Badgers finished at the top of the…

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TWELVE YEARS OF RESEARCH-BASED PLAYER SERVICE

Over the past 12 years, the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has cemented its dedication to evidence-based practice through a…

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VANDIAR, SIBOTO NEW ARRIVALS AT TITANS

Malusi Siboto and Jonathan Vandiar will wear the colours of The Unlimited Titans in the 2016/17 season.

The pair join from the VKB Knights and Sunfoil Dolphins respectively, while Daniel Sincuba also switches from KwaZulu-Natal to the Easterns Titans franchise.

Seam bowler Siboto, 28, has grown in leaps and bounds since his Knights debut in the 2011/12 season.

Despite a lengthy injury lay-off, the right-armer was a key part of the team for the Central Franchise last season. Siboto has over 150 first-class wickets and more than 100 in the limited-over formats. He will be joined by two former Dolphins players at the Titans.

One is batsman Jonathan Vandiar, who previously played in Gauteng with the bizhub Highveld Lions. The 26-year-old spent a few seasons at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, but failed to stake a regular place in the team.

Sincuba, also a batsman, is a franchise cricket rookie having played seven matches for the Dolphins since his debut in 2014/15.

The Titans also boast the most number of nationally contracted player with six in total. They are Test and One-Day international captain AB De Villiers, T20 skipper Faf Du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Farhaan Behardien, Morne Morkel and Quinton De Kock.

Titans squad: Qaasim Adams, Junior Dala, Henry Davids, Morne Morkel, Heinrich Klaasen, Heino Kuhn, Farhaan Behardien, Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Grant Mokoena, Albie Morkel, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, AB de Villiers, Tabraiz Shamzi, Malusi Siboto, Daniel Sincuba, Grant Thomson, Shaun von Berg, David Weise, Quinton de Kock, Rowan Richards, Jonathan Vandiar, Faf du Plessis.

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SHAMZI NAMED IN PROTEAS ODI SQUAD

 

Tabraiz Shamsi today was named as a new cap in the Proteas ODI squad for the triangular series in the Caribbean next month against hosts, the West Indies, and Australia.

The Unlimited Titans 26-year-old left-arm wrist spinner will become the 116th player to represent the Proteas in the 50 overs format.

“We have opted for three specialist spinners as we anticipate the pitches in the Caribbean to be on the slow side,” commented CSA selection committee convener, Linda Zondi. “Tabraiz has certainly earned his call-up following outstanding form both in our domestic cricket and in some of the major domestic T20 leagues including the Caribbean Premier League.

“He has shown what he can do in the T20 leagues against international batsmen. I am quite excited about the state of our spin bowling and the variety we have. We are sending two wrist spinners to the Caribbean plus left-arm and right-arm finger spin options. Spin bowling is becoming an increasingly important part of both limited overs formats and we are only just over a year away from the ICC Champions Trophy Tournament in England.

“In the short term our immediate focus must be to get back among the top ranked Test nations and for this reason we are resting Dale Steyn for this tour. He is vital to our ambitions in the longest format and he is going to have a heavy workload in the months ahead with home and away series against New Zealand, a home series against Sri Lanka and an away Test series in Australia which is where we need to perform,” explained Zondi. “He is certainly not out of the ODI picture and could well feature in the home series against Australia later this year.”

Wayne Parnell returns to the Proteas ODI squad for the first time since last year’s ICC World Cup in Australasia. “Wayne has the ability to become a quality all-rounder for us and, like Tabraiz, he is being rewarded for outstanding domestic form,” concluded Zondi.

Faf du Plessis has been included in the squad despite the current injury to his finger, and is expected to return to action for the Proteas’ second match of the triangular series. Proteas team manager, Dr Mohammed Moosajee explained:

“Faf sustained a broken left ring finger during the IPL two weeks ago and had fixation surgery to repair the bone tip this Tuesday in Cape Town. The surgery was a success and we are expecting a period of between four to five weeks for a full recovery. At this stage we are targeting for him to return to action for our second ODI against Australia on June 7.”

Proteas ODI squad: AB de Villiers (The Unlimited Titans, capt), Kyle Abbott (Warriors), Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras), Farhaan Behardien (The Unlimited Titans), Quinton de Kock (The Unlimited Titans), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (The Unlimited Titans), Imran Tahir (Sunfoil Dolphins), Morne Morkel (The Unlimited Titans), Chris Morris (The Unlimited Titans), Wayne Parnell (Cape Cobras), Aaron Phangiso (bizhub Highveld Lions), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), Rilee Rossouw (VKB Knights), Tabraiz Shamsi (The Unlimited Titans).

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PARNELL DELAYS TITANS TITLE BID

Wayne Parnell followed up his 12 wickets in the previous game with another five on the opening day of the Sunfoil Series clash between the Cape Cobras and The Unlimited Titans in Paarl on Thursday.

The Proteas’ left-arm quick bagged 5/62 as the log-leaders were shot out for just 168 at Boland Park.

Parnell, whose 12/105 set up victory against the Sunfoil Dolphins last weekend, was again in lethal form as he easily ran through the batting of the visitors. He was then one of the unbeaten batsmen at the close, which the home side reached on 172/5, thanks mainly to captain Omphile Ramela’s 84 not out (145 balls, 16 fours).

That gave them a lead of eight and capped a good day overall. The Cape side had won the toss and chose to bowl first with Parnell dismissing Heino Kuhn for a six-ball duck in the second over – the competition top-scorer still left stranded on 999 runs this season.

Dane Paterson (3/36) also helped Parnell dismantle the Titans, who had captain Henry Davids to thank for even getting any sort of meaningful total after he made 74 (96 balls, 8 fours, 1 six).

Davids was the second last wicket to fall with his side rolled over in 43 overs.

The Cobras were in early trouble on 10/2 thanks to twin Ethy Mbhalati (2/43) strikes, but recovered thanks to a 95-run fifth wicket stand between Ramela and Cebo Tshiki (47), the latter playing in just his second franchise game.

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ELGAR, ADAMS BAT TITANS TO A DRAW

A tremendous batting performances by Dean Elgar and Qaasim Adams helped the Unlimited Titans take a step closer towards the Sunfoil Series title with a battling draw against the bizhub Highveld Lions in their high-profile clash in Centurion on Sunday.

Proteas opener Elgar struck a monumental 173 (386 balls, 23 fours, 3 sixes) after batting for over nine hours with his side eventually finishing on 385/6.

Adams too played his part and was there at the end on 71 not out (190 balls, 10 fours) – himself batting for over four hours having arrived at the crease with defeat looking the likeliest of outcomes at SuperSport Park.

The top-of-the-table Titans had started out the day on 156/1 in their follow on innings and still needing another 223 to make the Lions bat again.

But they lost four wickets in the first session on Sunday as Grant Mokoena (27), Theunis de Bruyn (7), Mangaliso Mosehle (0) and Henry Davids (0) fell to the pace of Pumelela Matshikwe.

They were precariously placed at that stage on 216/5, but a 110-run sixth-wicket stand between Elgar and Adams rescued them. Not only did the pair keep hold of their wickets, but more importantly, they ate up time as their stand lasted more than 40 overs.

Matshikwe, who took all six wickets to fall for figures of 6/58 in 31 overs, eventually dismissed Elgar with more than 20 overs to play, but Adams found an unlikely batting ally in fast bowler Marchant de Lange. The Proteas paceman batted for over 20 overs with Adams to make 23 not out as the game ended in a draw.

 

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KUHN HELPS TITANS EXTEND SUNFOIL SERIES LEAD

Heino Kuhn scored a half-century as the Unlimited Titans rushed to an impressive eight-wicket win over the Warriors on the fourth day of their Sunfoil Series match at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Monday.

The opener, who began the day on 29, raced to his half-century off 62 deliveries, before being dismissed for 67 (89 balls, 10 fours, 1 six) with the hosts reaching 145/2 to complete the win.

In the process Kuhn became the first player, this season, to go past 900 runs and he took his overall aggregate to 944 runs, well ahead of the next highest run-getter, the bizhub Highveld Lions’ Stephen Cook who has collected 720 runs.

It had looked as if rain might have had the final say in the match with the first session of the day washed out. But play resumed after an early lunch had been taken with the Titans needing just 82 runs for victory.
The Pretoria-based team needed just 13.1 overs to knock off the required runs and complete a comprehensive win that saw them strengthen their position atop the Sunfoil Series standings. Kuhn made his intentions clear from the first over of the day as he struck four consecutive fours off the bowling of seamer Sisanda Magala.

Dean Elgar (39) and Kuhn shared in a 102-run opening stand, scoring at almost five runs to the over, before Elgar was caught at midwicket off the bowling of left-arm spinner Jon-Jon Smuts.

Kuhn eventually departed but, by that stage, the Titans needed just 15 runs to win which they duly achieved with Grant Mokoena ending on 27 not out. Left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi was the undoubted star of the show in the contest as he ended with match figures of 12/173 to claim the man-of-the-match award. Shamsi has now taken a remarkable 32 wickets in just five matches at an average of 16.84.

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WARRIORS READY FOR A CHANGE AGAINST TITANS

The Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa is determined to change the script when they welcome the Unlimited Titans to Port Elizabeth on Friday.The Eastern Cape side

The Eastern Cape side have had a woeful first-class campaign, with the Achilles’ heel being their wretched form with the bat.  Their latest outing yielded a second successive innings defeat, this time to the Cape Cobras and Maketa admits they are in a hole at the moment.

“Once again same old story,” he said. “I know we’re saying the same thing every week, so it’s very disappointing. Mentally it’s extremely tough for us at the moment and we have to find a way to get over it.

“We’re still in the same place where we’re looking for that person, Mo (Yaseen Vallie), has been flying the flag alone, we’re looking for others to join him in terms of first-innings runs.”

Vallie is their only batsman who has scored 400 runs this season and the coach conceded that even their senior players were struggling.

“The senior guys are not performing, so everyone is under the same cloud of really looking for answers,” he added. “It’s affected everyone. Again, we’re repeating ourselves and hopefully it will happen this week.”

Despite the woes of the Warriors, the Titans boss, Rob Walter, is not ready to write them off. His side will go into the clash as overwhelming favourites, but they do need to be cautious at the same time, he says.

“I know they haven’t registered a win, but it doesn’t make them a bad team,” Walter said. “So we can’t take them lightly because anyone can really beat anyone.”

The Titans drew with the Sunfoil Dolphins last week to extend their lead at the summit after their closest rivals, the bizhub Highveld Lions, lost to the VKB Knights.

“After all is said and done, we did gain three-and-a-half points in the end, which is good, but it’s nothing that allows us to settle down and think this (title race) is done and dusted, because it definitely isn’t. I think this is going to go all the way, this year’s Sunfoil Series,” Walter added.

“I expect it will go down to the last game, so it’s pretty exciting stuff.”

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DOLPHINS SEEK TO DERAIL LIONS

Interim Sunfoil Dolphins coach Roger Telemachus has set his sights on an upset against the bizhub Highveld Lions when the two sides come together in their Sunfoil Series contest in Pietermaritzburg starting on Friday.

The coastal side ran the top-of-the-table Unlimited Titans close last week when they fell 18 runs shy of victory in their drawn affair in Durban.

This time around they will be hoping to go all the way and beat the Lions, who themselves are still licking their wounds following a disappointing defeat to the VKB Knights in the previous round.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t quite go all the way on Sunday, but that’s cricket sometimes,” Telemachus, one of two co-coaches of the Dolphins alongside Yashin Ebrahim, said, “our batters are coming to the party and the bowlers are sticking to their plans, hopefully that can continue for the next three games!”

The hosts are presently fourth on the table, but a win, coupled with a few other results going their way, would push them right into the title mix.

“This weekend we have another tough game, in different conditions up in Maritzburg, but we have our plans and hopefully things can go well for us,” Telemachus added.

Opposite number coach Geoffrey Toyana saw the defending champions lose ground in their title bid last week when they were crushed by the VKB Knights.

“It was quite disappointing, we didn’t play well at all and we don’t have any excuses for it,” he said. “We’ve chatted about it and will be looking to move on in Pietermaritzburg.”

And Toyana is now wary of the dangerous Dolphins, adding: “There’s still three teams in it and maybe even four if you consider we are playing the Dolphins. They’re playing some really good cricket, so we’ll have to be wary of them as well.

“It’s a key stage of the season now and every result is important. I’m confident we will bounce back.”

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PHEHLUKWAYO OUTPLAYS CENTURIONS IN CENTURION

A stunning six-wicket haul by Andile Phehlukwayo helped the Sunfoil Dolphins end their Momentum One-Day Cup campaign with a 34-run win over the Unlimited Titans at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday.

The teenage star claimed 6/27 in a magical 8.4 overs, which also included two maidens, as the visitors were bowled out for 281 in pursuit of an imposing 316.

That target was built around a record 210-run stand between Khaya Zondo and Sarel Erwee, who both struck centuries. Erwee top-scored with his maiden List A ton, clocking up 113 (128 balls, 11 fours, 2 sixes), while Zondo thumped 100 (104 balls, 4 fours, 6 sixes) – his third century in the one-day format. Their partnership surpassed the previous best 179 second-wicket record for the Dolphins between Doug Watson and Wade Wingfield back in the 2004/05 season.

The pair set a perfect platform for their team-mates, but they slightly peeled off towards the end, finishing on 315/6. Junior Dala was the pick of the bowlers with 3/58.

The Titans’ chase never really got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals. A half century from top-scorer Dean Elgar (57) gave them outside hope, until they lost the Proteas opener and Qaasim Adams (38), both to Phehlukwayo, in quick succession to slump to 188/6. But Albie Morkel’s superb 52 (36 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) re-ignited their challenge, until he the big-hitting all-rounder eventually was dismissed with five overs to go.

With it went the hopes of the Titans as Phehlukwayo, whose figures were the second-best in franchise cricket for the home team, mopped up the tail to send the Dolphins up to fourth on the table with their set of 10 games completed. They also ended the visitors’ slim hopes of reaching the qualifier.

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COBRAS SECURE HOME FINAL

A blistering century from Dane Vilas ensured that the Cape Cobras will host the Momentum One-Day Cup final after they claimed a five-wicket win over the Warriors at St George`s Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

Unbeaten Vilas crashed 5 sixes and 11 fours in his 70-ball assault as the visitors recovered from some early trouble to chase down a 258 target with 15 balls to spare.

The Proteas wicketkeeper – reaching his sixth List A century – shared in an unbroken record 161-run sixth-wicket partnership with Justin Ontong, who made 60 not out (81 balls, 2 fours, 1 six). The pair initially came together when their side was in a huge spot of bother at 96/5 and still needing 161 from 24 overs. But they smashed the previous record of 137 unbroken between Vilas himself and Sybrand Engelbrecht, set back in the 2014/15 season.

The pick of the bowlers was Colin Ackermann, who earlier top-scored with the bat to lift the Warriors to a competitive total. Ackermann struck 92 (125 balls. 10 fours) , while Yaseen Vallie hit 58 (72 balls, 5 fours) to give the home side a chance, they eventually surrendered.

Dane Paterson was the pick of the bowlers with 3/54.

The Warriors dropped to third with the result and are likely to stay there and qualify for the play-offs, unless the Unlimited Titans can secure bonus-point wins from their remaining two games.

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INGRAM LEADS WARRIORS TO SECOND PLACE

Colin Ingram struck an unbeaten 97 as the Warriors moved back into second place on the Momentum One-Day Cup standings with a 14-run win over The Unlimited Titans at Buffalo Park on Sunday.

The home captain was left stranded three short of a century having faced 97 balls as his side were bowled out for 285 in 49.1 overs after winning the toss and batting first in East London. The outstanding Grant Thomson cleaned up last man Lundi Mbane for a duck with five balls remaining to bag figures of three for 54.

Ingram, who struck seven fours and a six, was the only man to cross the half-century mark for his side, with Jon-Jon Smuts (44) and Colin Ackermann (41) reaching the 40s and Christiaan Jonker (34) and Jerry Nqolo (31) getting into the 30s. Part-timer Henry Davids returned the best figures of three for 39, just ahead of Thomson, who then shone with the bat as the Titans came close to pulling off what would have been an excellent chase. The 27-year-old all-rounder top-scored with 79 from 87 balls, before he was the last man out with the Pretoria side dismissed for 271 in 49.3 overs.

Graeme van Buuren also made 52 off 66 as the much-changed visitors, who lost nearly all their Proteas players due to national duty, still managed to come close. Basheer Walters was the pick of the bowlers with three for 70, while there were two each for Mbane (2-22) and Smuts (2-44). The Warriors now have 18 points after moving back into second place, while the Titans remain fourth (13).

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2015/16 SUNFOIL SIZZLER

 

Hardus Viljoen of the bizhub Highveld Lions has bagged the Sunfoil Series Sizzler award for the first five rounds of the Sunfoil Series which currently sees The Unlimited Titans, the VKB Knights and the bizhub Highveld Lions locked in a three-way battle for four-day cricket supremacy. The Lions are the current title holders.

The Sunfoil Sizzler award is worth R15 000.

Viljoen, who made his debut for the Castle Lager Proteas in the third Sunfoil Test match against the England touring team at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, has had a phenomenal Sunfoil Series campaign taking 30 wickets in 4 matches. This included back-to-back 10-wicket hauls in successive matches against the Sunfoil Dolphins and the Warriors.

Other players who came strongly into contention for the award were his bizhub Highveld Lions team mate, Dwaine Pretorius, Werner Coetsee of the VKB Knights, Keshav Maharaj of the Sunfoil Dolphins and Tabraiz Shamsi of The Unlimited Titans.

“Congratulations to Hardus on his Sunfoil Sizzler award,” commented Cricket South Africa (CSA) General Manager: Cricket, Corrie van Zyl. “His performance in taking back-to-back 10-wickets hauls is special and earned him a fully deserved call-up to the Proteas.

“The results over the past six weeks have also shown that our domestic game is healthy, particularly if you look at the way players have taken the step up to international cricket when the opportunity has arisen. Stephen Cook’s century on debut for the Proteas underlines this point.”

The South African Cricketers’ Association Most Valuable Player index (SACA MVP) is used as the measuring tool in determining the Sunfoil Sizzler of the Month.

The SACA MVP is calculated using an internationally recognised formula which takes into account every discipline in the game of cricket.  Batting, bowling, fielding, captaining and winning are all factored in within the context of each individual match. Individual player performances in pressure situations, for example, carry more weight; thus players who deliver when their team needs them most, earn more points.

The SACA MVP latest ranking standings are updated weekly on the SACA website (www.saca.org.za), and may be viewed ‘per competition’ or by having a look at the ‘overall’ standings.

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BEHARDIEN TON RESCUES TITANS

Farhaan Behardien recorded his eighth first-class century as the Unlimited Titans recovered from a poor start to reach stumps on day one of their rain-affected Sunfoil Series clash against the bizhub Highveld Lions on 285 for seven at Senwes Park.

After winning the toss and batting in the top-of-the-table clash, the visitors found themselves in all sorts of trouble by lunch when they fell to 104 for four.

But Behardien, the stand-in captain, shared in a vital rebuilding stand of 157 with David Wiese (69) that helped them momentarily to seize the initiative.

The fifth-wicket partnership came from just 34 overs with all-rounder Wiese collecting 69, before both set men fell late on a rain-hit day.

There was even time for a third wicket in the last session, meaning the home side held the advantage by the close.

They had been in a solid position after the first session when three wickets by the in-form all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius (4-57) set them back. He included among his wickets two of the Titans’ key men – Heino Kuhn (six) and Theunis de Bruyn (18).

But Behardien and Wiese looked to have weathered the storm by taking their side to 249 for four with less than 10 overs to play.

The returning Hardus Viljoen (2-80) then struck some telling late blows to leave the second-placed Johannesburg side with the edge.

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TITANS PULL OFF LATE WIN OVER DOLPHINS

Heino Kuhn’s attacking half-century proved key for The Unlimited Titans as they stayed top of the Sunfoil Series table with a memorable four-wicket win over the Sunfoil Dolphins deep on the final day at Sahara Park Willowmoore on Sunday.

The opener, who made 129 in the first innings, plundered 62 in 57 deliveries as the hosts chased down a tough 173 victory target in a little over a session to claim the win. Qaasim Adams also played a vital role with his 38 anchoring the majority of the chase, which came in 33.5 overs.

The visitors will regret not taking up more time with the bat in their innings. They relied heavily on a century from Imraan Khan (107) – his 18th first-class ton – to get them to 255 after starting out the last day on 65 for one.

Khan shared in important stands of 91 with Vaughn van Jaarsveld (47) for the second wicket and 74 with Sibonelo Makhanya (30) for the sixth wicket to get them there. Ethy Mbhalati (3-42) and Tabraiz Shamsi (3-38) were the pick of the bowlers.

The Durban side then failed to keep their Pretoria rivals in check as they scored at 5.17 to the over to reach their target with 3.1 overs remaining.

The Titans picked up 19.28 points for the win, compared to the 6.14 for the Dolphins.

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TITANS STRIKE LATE TO JOLT DOLPHINS

Late wickets by the Unlimited Titans fast bowlers helped restrict the Sunfoil Dolphins to 357 all out on the opening day of their Sunfoil Series clash at Sahara Park Willowmoore on Thursday.

Ethy Mbhalati and Marchant de Lange shared seven wickets for the hosts, but half-centuries by Imraan Khan, Khaya Zondo and Daryn Smit ensured the visitors held the slight advantage in Benoni.

Wicketkeeper Smit top-scored with a fluent 85 from 111 deliveries, while opener Khan anchored a solid start with 83.

Zondo, meanwhile, made 65 before he was out on the stroke of tea. But the Dolphins may rue the fact that they lost their last six wickets for less than 100. They had progressed nicely through to 244 for four during the afternoon, but the Titans’ opening bowlers struck some telling blows.

Mbhalati, the pick of the bowlers with four for 48, accounted for Khan, Vaughn van Jaarsveld (30), Sibonelo Makhanya (one) and Craig Alexander (two).

De Lange took three for 79 – his wickets being captain Divan van Wyk (nought), David Miller (26), both bowled, and Keshav Maharaj (13).

The Titans, who won the toss and chose to bowl, faced two overs in their reply to reach stumps on two without loss.

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MOSEHLE BLASTS TITANS TO RAM SLAM VICTORY

 Mangaliso Mosehle played his finest innings to date in one of the biggest matches of his career to help The Unlimited Titans lift the RAM SLAM T20 trophy in front of a full house home crowd at SuperSport Park. 

 

After the Sunfoil Dolphins had posted what looked to be a challenging 159 for five, Mosehle walked in at No. 3 and smashed seven sixes to score 87 from 39 balls. Although Mosehle and Henry Davids (35), with whom he put on 123 in 67 balls for the second wicket, fell to successive deliveries from Kyle Abbott, by that stage the game was won. With just 12 runs needed from 33 balls, Farhaan Behardien and Albie Morkel merely needed to keep their heads, which they did to record a seven-wicket win with 19 balls to spare. 

 

It was the first time since the 2011/12 season that the Titans had won the domestic Twenty20 competition, and it gave Rob Walter his third trophy since taking over as coach of the franchise at the start of the 2013/14 season. Given their dominance in the league phase, when they won eight games on the trot and finished 13 points clear at the top of the table, nobody could claim they were not deserved winners. One of the keys to their success has been the number of bases that they cover, and that was the case once again.

 

Albie Morkel was able to call on no fewer than eight bowling options, all of whom did a job as the Dolphins were strangled in the middle period of their innings. With runs hard to come by, Morne van Wyk (29), Jonathan Vandiar (26) and Kevin Pietersen all holed out as they tried to get the scoreboard going. A late blast from Dwayne Bravo and David Miller gave the visitors something to bowl at as they took 65 off the last six overs, with Bravo making 53 from 30 balls and Miller scoring 33. But that proved inadequate once Mosehle got going. While he has a List A century to his name as well as an unbeaten 93 in the shortest format, neither have come in such a pressure situation. As he went hard at the Dolphins, their bowlers had no answer, with Imran Tahir taking the worst punishment when Mosehle took 24 off his second over. That took the required rate below a run a ball, and the Titans eased home from there. Davids was named RAM Deliverer of the Day and Mosehle RAM Slammer of the day.

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DOLPHINS SET THE STAGE FOR A THRILLING RAM SLAM FINAL

TheCape Cobras contrived to blow the advantage given to them by Richard Levi’s superb innings, as the Sunfoil Dolphins clung on for a thrilling five-run victory at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead that put them into the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge Final. Andile Phehlukwayo was once again the bowling hero at the death for the Dolphins, being given the 18th and 20th overs to take 2/7 and also build the pressure that led to the run out of Justin Ontong.

With Levi blitzing 85 from just 43 balls, the Cobras went into the last five overs of their chase needing just a run a ball with seven wickets in hand to win the play-off.

Although Levi had departed by that stage, with plenty of batting to come the Cobras looked certain victors, but they went on to lose five wickets for the addition of just 19 runs to grab defeat from the jaws of victory. The Dolphins will now travel to SuperSport Park to take on The Unlimited Titans in Saturday’s final, with their belief undoubtedly buoyed. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, they saw Cameron Delport put up his first significant score of the campaign as he scored 55 from 37 balls in an opening partnership with Morne van Wyk (57) that was worth 99.

That set the tone, and allowed David Miller and Kevin Pietersen to do what they do best once the openers had departed. The pair hit two sixes apiece, with Pietersen making 27 from 10 balls and Miller finishing unbeaten on 33 from 24 balls, as the Dolphins posted 178 for three. No team has scored more than 179 in the competition this season, and so it was clear that the Cobras faced a stiff challenge, particularly with a lack of firepower in their middle-order. Levi produced the big innings when they needed it most, bludgeoning seven sixes in a brutal innings that saw him reach 50 in just 20 deliveries.

The Cobras romped to 77 without loss in the power play, with Wayne Parnell (27) playing the supporting role, and, even after Levi misjudged the length and pace of a Delport delivery to depart in the 14th over, the game should have been in the bag. Yet the Cobras hit just two boundaries from that point on – both of them by Lesiba Ngoepe (32) – and the pressure built up progressively as a result.

It was then that Phehlukwayo became the hero for the Dolphins – and not for the first time in this season’s competition either – bowling two of the last three overs, during which he conceded just seven runs off the bat and claimed two wickets, while Justin Ontong was also run out in his final over. The all-rounder is still four months shy of his 20th birthday on March 3 next year, but will now have the opportunity to showcase his growing skills and impressive nerve in South Africa’s most high-profile domestic game on Saturday.

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THRILLING ROAD TO THE RAM SLAM T20 FINAL

SuperSport Park will be the place to be on Saturday evening when it plays host to the fourth RAM SLAM final. The home side, The Unlimited Titans will take on the winners of Wednesday’s playoff between the Sunfoil Dolphins and the Cape Cobras for the coveted winners cheque of R2,7 Million.

Leading up to Saturday’s game, the ever popular RAM SLAM DropZone will be up and running at the Menlyn Park Shopping Centre from 16h00 – 18h00 on Friday 11 December. The exhilarating match day activation has seen fans queueing time and time again for their opportunity to jump up to 18 meters off a crane onto a massive inflatable cushion. In addition to the DropZone, there’ll be ticket give aways as well as the Unlimited Titans players present for autographs. Everyone is welcome to come and join in the free fun!

The crowd favourite competition #CatchAMillion will be in full force at the final with all 9 winners to date being flown into the ground via helicopter, which will land on the pitch minutes before the coin toss. Add to this live DJ’s Black Coffee as well as DJ Euphonik, the ongoing #DanceCam competition now with double the prize money on offer, 20 Slams and the RAM SLAM DropZone the fans are certainly set to get more than they bargained for. The #DropAMillion prize of R10 000 for the worst drop catch is sure to be a winner with those selected fans who missed out on their share of the massive R1 million Rand due to their dropped catch. Funny-man Joey Rasdien is in place to ensure that those unable to attend the game are at least laughing at home.

RAM Hand to Hand Couriers Joint MD David Lazarus encourages the fans to join in the fun atmosphere in the final “Supersport Park will be set alight this Saturday – we’ve ensured that there’s something for everyone from kiddies areas, live music, competitions and all-round thrilling Summer entertainment.”

 

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LIONS STRENGTHEN THEIR BATTING RESOURCES

To keep their RAM SLAM T20 campaign alive, the bizhub Highveld Lions are hoping to catch The Unlimited Titans on an “off-day” when the two teams meet at Sahara Park Willowmoore on Friday night.

 

While the Titans have already guaranteed top spot and a home final, the Lions need to win their two remaining games to stand any chance of finishing in the top three and qualifying for the play-off.

 

That looks to be an unenviable challenge given that the Titans have won their last seven games on the trot, especially as the Lions have lost their last two.

 

“It will be tough for us, but we’ve chatted as a group and our equation is quite simple. We have to go to Benoni and beat them on the day,” said Lions coach, Geoff Toyana.

 

“Hopefully they have one of those off-days, because in competitions like this you can’t go six, seven, eight wins on the bounce as they have done. So let’s hope they have an off-day, but that said it’s key that our group have belief in themselves.”

 

While the Lions bowling attack have often been impressive, the side have generally been short on runs and so Stephen Cook and Dominic Hendricks have been drafted into the squad as the selectors mull changes.

 

As they look to maintain their winning run in the lead-up to next weekend’s final, the Titans have opted for consistency with their selection and are in no mood to relax.

 

“We’ve sat this week and spoken about the weekend, and the importance of not taking our foot off the pedal,” said Mangaliso Mosehle. “We want to make sure that when we go into the final next week that we have some momentum. If we lose these two games then we might find ourselves in trouble.

 

“The Lions have a lot of inexperienced players, so we’ll be looking to pick up some early wickets, which is something that we’ve done very well, to put the middle order under pressure.”

 

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PARNELL PERFORMANCE PUSHES COBRAS TO SECOND

Wayne Parnell played the innings of his life in the shortest format to take the Cape Cobras to second place on the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge log with a 6-wicket victory over the bizhub Highveld Lions at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.

The Cobras now have 20 points with two games to play while the Sunfoil Dolphins have 18 points with one match to play which is against the Cobras. This match could well decide who finishes second on the log although the Warriors are by no means out of the picture either. The Cobras match against the Warriors on Wednesday is also a critical one.

The Lions can still reach the knock-out stage but they will have to win both their remaining fixtures. The Unlimited Titans are now confirmed as the top team on the log and get direct access to a home final.

Ironically, Parnell would never have got the chance to bat at the top of the order had the Cobras not suffered yet another injury – this time a freak concussion for opening batsman Richard Levi who was hit on the back of the head while fielding.

The turning point of the match, although it was not evident at the time, came when Parnell, who opened with Andrew Puttick, was caught by Thami Tsolekile off the bowling of Hardus Viljoen. On referral the delivery was confirmed as a no ball and Parnell, who had 20 at the time, went on to make a match-winning 99 (57 balls, 9 fours and 5 sixes). The next highest contribution to the Cobras’ winning total was Andrew Puttick’s 19 which illustrates just how much he dominated the runs chase.

The Lions looked to have posted a competitive total of 153/5 after winning the toss thanks to an unbroken partnership of 53 in 4.3 overs between Thami Tsolekile and Dwaine Pretorius but in the end they had no answer to Parnell’s onslaught.

Parnell was named RAM Slammer of the day while Justin Kemp, playing his 100th game in the T20 format, was named RAM Deliverer of the day for his figures of 2/26.

Levi was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with mild concussion and kept in hospital overnight as a precautionary measure.

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WARRIORS SEEK MOMENTUM AGAINST DOMINANT TITANS

The Warriors face the stiff task of revitalising their RAM SLAM T20 campaign against the tournament’s standout side when they take on The Unlimited Titans in the second game of Saturday’s double-header at St. George’s Park.

The Warriors currently sit fifth on the table with 10 points, but are the only side who still have four games remaining – something that could be turned into an advantage if they can beat the Titans and generate some momentum.

“We know we’re up against a tough challenge, where three wins out of four games will give us an outside chance of qualifying for the play-offs, and four wins out of four would give us a good chance,” said captain, Colin Ingram.

“If we get on a good run and develop some momentum in the final league games, then we could take that into the knockouts as well. This next home game is key, because if we win it then playing three games in quick succession next week could suit us.”

Their task looks all the steeper for the fact that Colin Ackermann remains a doubt due to his quad strain, and Lundi Mbane may be unavailable due to a bereavement.

What’s more, they will be up against a team that is set on total domination – the Titans need just two wins from their final three games to guarantee a home final, but after winning their last six on the trot, they have their sights set even higher.

“We’ve obviously worked out what we need to get a home final but that’s not our main focus,” said captain, Albie Morkel. “We want to go through the rest of the competition without losing. It would be tough, but that’s our ambition.”

It’s no secret that the Warriors have been heavily reliant on Ackermann and Ingram for runs in the competition, and Morkel made it clear that the Titans will be out to exploit that.

“With any side that we face we try and identify their match-winners and take them out as early as possible. Those two have played some nice cricket this season, so if we can take them out early then the Warriors have a young bowling attack that we can target.”

Morkel added that the Titans were likely to travel with an unchanged squad for the game, which gets underway at 6pm tonight.

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COBRAS SPINNING RESOURCES PUT TO THE TEST

The Cape Cobras head into their crucial RAM SLAM T20 clash with The Unlimited Titans at PPC Newlands on Friday without their best two spinners after George Linde joined Robin Peterson on the injured list.

Linde fractured a finger on his bowling hand during the five-wicket win over the Dolphins on Sunday, and so the Cobras have called on Siya Simetu for their two upcoming games this weekend.

The Simetu was a regular fixture in the Cape Cobras side during the 2013/14 RAM SLAM, but did not feature at all last season and will need to adapt to the pace of the competition quickly.

The defending champions currently sit third with 12 points from five games, and will need to rein in the Titans after their bonus-point victory over the Dolphins on Wednesday put them top of the table with 21 points.

“This is a key game – we need to take some points off the Titans now that they’re top of the log. We need to make sure that we’re ticking,” said Cobras coach, Paul Adams.

“We haven’t had the perfect game yet, and that’s what the players are striving for. We keep presenting that in front of them and hopefully it comes as we get close to the end of the league phase.”

A big part of the Unlimited Titans’ success during their winning streak, which stretched to five games on Wednesday, has been their ability to think on their feet.

“We’ve played on some funny wickets so far – some turners and some up-and-down wickets – so we’ve had to adapt our bowling plans on the field and I think that’s one thing we’ve done well so far,” reflected Titans captain, Albie Morkel. “We’ve assessed the situations quite nicely.”

Lungi Ngidi missed Wednesday’s game because he was writing exams, but has joined the Titans squad for the game against the Cobras.

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MORRIS SENDS DOLPHINS PLUMMETING TO DEFEAT

Chris Morris  consigned the Sunfoil Dolphins to their lowest ever Twenty20 total as The Unlimited Titans shot to the top of the RAM SLAM T20 table with a comprehensive victory at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead.

 

The Titans looked to have fallen short of a good total when they were limited to 136 for nine on a slow Durban wicket, but Morris returned figures of 4 for 9 in three overs as the Dolphins were rolled for 70 to give the visitors a bonus point.

 

While the droughts around the country have led to drier pitches that have aided spin in the competition, that trend changed on Wednesday as the pacemen found a surface to their liking.

 

The short ball claimed a handful of victims on either side, while the yorker also proved a deadly weapon.

 

With most batsmen failing to deal with the change, Quinton de Kock’s 38 at the top of the Titans order made all the difference in the end, even with Ryan McLaren using the conditions wisely to bounce out Albie Morkel and york David Wiese and finish with figures of 3 for 28.

 

Six of the Titans top seven reached double figures without going any further, a statistic that appeared glum at the innings break but then looked like a luxury at the end of the game.

 

The Dolphins batting line-up had been powerful in the first half of the competition but there was a suspicion it was being held together by Kevin Pietersen, and so it proved in the first game after the Englishman’s departure.

 

David Miller (12) and Dwayne Bravo (27) were the only players to reach double figures, as Morris claimed two wickets up front and two later on.

 

With Morkel (2 for 14 in four overs) and Junior Dala (2 for 13 in 2.4 overs) also chipping in – the former using the short ball to good effect and the latter bowling fuller – the Dolphins were bowled out in just 15.4 overs, finishing short of their previous lowest total, which was the 82 they made against the Knights at the same venue last season.

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TITANS FACE TESTING WEEK IN BATTLE AT THE TOP

With four straight wins under their belt The Unlimited Titans may be the form team in the RAM SLAM T20, but they know that they face their toughest challenges in the competition this week, starting with Wednesday’s visit to the Sunfoil Dolphins. Losing to the Dolphins in their opening game, the Titans have gone on an impressive winning streak to sit level with their opponent at the top of the standings.

But this week sees them visit the Dolphins and then travel to Cape Town to take on the third-placed Cape Cobras on Friday, making it a crucial few days in the race for top spot and an automatic place in the final.

The Titans have retained the same squad that conquered the Warriors over the weekend, with coach, Rob Walter, enjoying the depth that he has found in his ranks.

“We’ve changed our team pretty much every game for varying reasons – from family loss to injury to game plans – so what’s nice is that the guys who have come in and got an opportunity to play have stood up and done something for us,” said Walter.

“So we’re happy with everyone’s form, and we want to be able to field a team that is specific to our opposition or the conditions, and know that whoever we bring in is in form and is ready to play. We obviously have good momentum, but I see Wednesday and Friday as being our biggest challenges.”

After winning their first four games, the Dolphins were finally felled on Sunday when Wayne Parnell engineered a five-wicket win for the Cobras.

“It’s just the nature of the game,” reflected Morne van Wyk. “It’s such a short format that you have to be on the ball all of the time, and it’s hard to claw yourself back if you aren’t.”

The Dolphins do, however, need to figure out their best combinations now that Kevin Pietersen has departed, Prenelan Subrayen has been banned from bowling and Kyle Abbott has flown to India to play for the Proteas.

After scoring 77 off just 46 balls for KZN Inland in the CSA Provincial T20 Challenge this weekend, Vaughn van Jaarsveld has returned to the Dolphins squad along with Sibonelo Makhanya.

While SuperSport Park’s quicker surface did not require a spinning ally for Keshav Maharaj on Sunday, replacing Subrayen, who took 4 for 22 the last time these teams met, may be a priority for Sahara Stadium Kingsmead’s conditions on Wednesday.

“It will be tough to replace him because he’s a star performer who’s done really well for us, but you need your squad to perform in a competition and it’s an opportunity for someone else to contribute and showcase their skills,” said Van Wyk.

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BEHARDIEN PUTS TITANS IN CHARGE

Farhaan Behardien’s brisk half-century guided The Unlimited Titans out of a sticky situation and took them to a 26-run victory over the Cape Cobras in Sunday’s RAM SLAM T20 clash at SuperSport Park.

Behardien smashed an unbeaten 61 from just 31 balls in an innings that stood head and shoulders above any other on the surface, allowing the Titans to post 173 for five.

Its quality became increasingly apparent as the Cobras failed to generate any momentum in their reply, which ultimately finished on 147 for six.

The victory left the Titans second on the table with eight points from three games, but it didn’t always look as though it would come as easily as the final margin suggested.

High on confidence after his heroics at the death against the Warriors in Paarl on Friday, Dane Paterson (3 for 31) grabbed the early wickets of Henry Davids and Grant Mokoena to leave the Titans 22 for two.

Behardien then saw the Titans slip to 74 for four just moments after he came to the crease, with Justin Ontong snuffing out a promising stand between Quinton de Kock (34) and Graeme van Buuren (27) when he removed both batsmen in the space of four deliveries.

Behardien put the innings back on track in a 52-run stand with Qaasim Adams (27 off 19 balls), and then made sure that it finished with a bang by taking 26 from the last two overs along with Albie Morkel.

The Titans opened the bowling with Graeme van Buuren in a move that paid off – the spinner allowed just two runs in his opening over and finished with none for 15 in four overs – but a key moment came when Chris Morris won his tussle with Richard Levi.

After being hit for four and then six by Levi, Morris had the last laugh when he ended the second over by having him caught.

Although Andrew Puttick (27) and Keegan Petersen (27) kept the innings ticking over, they weren’t able to inject the level of urgency required before Puttick was trapped lbw by Ruben Claassen.

Fresh from his exploits with Assupol TUKS in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals, the 22-year-old off-spinner went on to grab the wicket of top-scorer Omphile Ramela (38) and finish with figures of 2 for 34 on his franchise debut.

With Albie Morkel and Morris also finishing with two wickets apiece and Van Buuren restricting the Cobras, the visitors’ chase petered out to leave them with just one win from their three matches to date.

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