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South African domestic round-up - week ending October 22
van Wyk blasts Eagles to victory
Sam Collins
October 23, 2006
MTN Domestic Championship
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Fef du Plessis hits the winning runs for the Titans against the Lions
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Another century from Morne van Wyk guided the Eagles to a 52-run win over against
the Dolphins in Kimberley on Sunday. van Wyk, who had hit 115 against the
Warriors the previous week, smashed a career best 160 not out off only 136 balls as
the Eagles reached 289 for 3. The Dolphins looked to be in with a shout as
Doug Watson and Imraan Khan put on 113 for the first wicket, but three
wickets in consecutive overs from Roger Telemachus, including the in-form
Hashim Amla, reduced them to 130 for 3 and they never recovered.
The Titans destroyed the Lions at Centurion on Sunday, rolling them for 164
and then reaching the target after only 21.2 overs thanks to a blistering
65-ball 96 from Gulam Bodi. An impressive new-ball burst from Dale Steyn and
Alfonso Thomas, with back-up from the Morkel brothers, had reduced the Lions
to 21 for 5 off 16 overs, before Tyron Henderson's 63 restored some element
of respectability. Bodi's knock, which included six sixes, ensured the
Titans had no trouble chasing on what was a decent pitch, before he was
caught behind trying to score the boundary that would have brought him his
century. It capped a disappointing week for the Lions, whose match against the
Cobras on Friday was washed out.
Nantie Hayward's 4 for 19 helped the Warriors to their first win of the
season against the Dolphins on Friday. Hayward, who spent last season
playing for the Dolphins, took key early wickets as they were dismissed for
191. Despite losing a wicket to the second ball of their reply, the Warriors
managed to hold their nerve in the chase, with an undefeated 41 from Arno
Jacobs the key in a match where no batsman reached 50.
That win was all the more important for the Warriors as they had suffered
another defeat at the hands of the Titans in East London on Wednesday. Faf
du Plessis's immaculate 80 had anchored the Titans' innings as they reached
213 for 9 from their 45 overs, but despite losing only five wickets in their
reply the Warriors never got close to their target and they ended up 25
short, with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel taking the bowling plaudits after
impressive spells.
Sam Collins is a freelance journalist based in London
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