Rory Kleinveldt’s late blitz of 45 off 36 balls propelled the Cape Cobras to a last-gasp One-Day Cup win over the Titans at Newlands.
He brought his team back into the game when they were struggling at 182-7 after 37 overs, chasing 271 to win. He smashed seven fours and a six in a 69-run partnership with George Linde, who remained unbeaten on 39 off 38, with just two fours, as the home team scraped in with three balls remaining.
The Cobras didn’t get off to the best of starts, losing Richard Levi for seven, but Pieter Malan (62) and Simon Khomari (60) repaired the damage with a partnership of 100 runs. But then the spin of Shaun von Berg and Tabraiz Shamsi cut through the middle order to put the Titans in a winning position –until Kleinveldt came to the crease.
It was a roller-coaster ride for the Cobras, starting when the Titans, having opted to bat, were two down for two runs in the third over.
Titans coach Mark Boucher has been greatly encouraged by young players stepping up in the absence of their many Proteas players, and 21-year-old Rivaldo Moonsamy is one of those. In his previous game, against the Warriors in Benoni, he scored his maiden century and this time he stood tall against the Cobras attack with an excellent 79 off 103 balls (7×4, 1×6).
First he anchored a stand of 156 with Heinrich Klaasen, who smashed 86 off 96 with 11 fours and a six, and then contributed to a partnership of 44 with Farhaan Behardien, taking the score beyond 200 in the 40th over.
Behardien had limited support thereafter until he fell for 62 off 56, of which only 20 runs came from boundaries, with four fours and a six.
Still, the Titans had at least been able to offer a target of 271 at 5.4 an over. It was almost enough.
The Cobras stay in second place on the log with 18 points, pipped by the Dolphins, who destroyed the Knights with a bonus point win.
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