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Titans close in on title
Staff Reporter
Posted Sun, 29 Mar 2009

The Nashua Titans are to all intents and purposes the SuperSport Series champions for 2008/09 after comprehensively outplaying their nearest rivals, the Gestetner Diamond Eagles, to win by 10 wickets with more than a day and a half to spare at the OUTsurance Oval on Saturday.

This victory stretched their lead at the top of the log to more than 18 points with only one round left to play. It is still mathematically possible for the defending champions to hang on to their title but it will need a virtual washout of the Titans’ final fixture for that possibility to eventuate.

The Titans play the bizhub Highveld Lions in their final match at the Liberty Life Wanderers Stadium from Thursday while the Diamond Eagles are at home to the Nashua Dolphins at the De Beers Diamond Oval.

The Titans’ victory on Saturday was a personal triumph for Morne Morkel who followed up his 6/43 in the first innings with a return of 6/48 in the second to give him a match return of 12/91. It was the first time he had taken 12 wickets in a match and improved on his previous best return earlier this season (against the Chevrolet Warriors) of 11/53.

It was just the boost he needed before he links up with the Proteas’ Standard Bank ODI squad on Monday for the MTN ODI series against Australia which starts at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Friday.

The Titans only needed 139 for victory and Heino Kuhn and Blake Snijman made light work of the target in 26 overs, scoring at more than five to the over.

The Nashua Cape Cobras are well poised to score their first victory of the season at the expense of the bizhub Highveld Lions at Senwes Park.

At the close of the third day the Lions led by only 38 runs with two wickets still intact.

The victory was built on an innings of 174 from Andrew Puttick (346 balls, 21 fours) that enabled the Cobras to lead by 138 on the first innings. As had been the case in the first innings, Claude Henderson and Stiaan van Zyl gradually worked their way through the Lions batting with three wickets apiece.

The Chevrolet Warriors will also fancy their chances of beating the Nashua Dolphins outright after setting them a target of 398 runs. The Dolphins are 98/3 in their chase and, although the prolific Imraan Khan is still at the crease, the odds will be very much on a home victory at Sahara Oval St. George’s.