Tabraiz Shamsi spearheaded a Titans attack which set up a five-wicket win over the Highveld Lions in their One-Day Cup match in Benoni.
Once he, with 5-40, and the other five bowlers had destroyed the Lions for 176 in 43 overs, it needed just a measured response by the batsmen to reach the target with 70 balls remaining.
The Lions may have been encouraged when they took three wickets for 12 runs to restrict the Titans to 134-5, but Farhaan Behardien (19 off 27) anchored the run-in. Chris Morris was more cavalier with 27 off 22 balls.
Rivaldo Moonsamy’s 57 off 99 balls, assisted by Tony de Zorzi (24) and Heinrich Klaasen (34) had laid the foundation. It was another fine contribution from the 21-year-old Moonsamy, who has had a hundred and two fifties in his last four innings.
The Lions owed their total entirely to Stephen Cook, who came right after a lean period with an 89, and Rassie van der Dussen, who harvested 41 off 54 balls.
No other Lions batsman rose above seven.
Cook, who faced 120 balls and took only six fours and a six out of them, shared a 100-run fourth wicket partnership with Van der Dussen, but it made little impact on the run-rate as it consumed 20 overs.
It was the left-arm chinaman spin of Shamsi that broke that partnership, bowling Van der Dussen, and he followed that up by trapping Cook lbw on his way to cutting off the tail.
He is now far and away the most prolific bowler in the series, with 22 from seven innings, a full seven ahead of Warriors paceman Sisanda Magala.
The Titans once again rose to the top of the log with 24 points, one ahead of the Cobras, who smashed the Knights by eight wickets.
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Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
