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Titans win SS Series
Staff Reporter
Posted Sat, 04 Apr 2009

Nashua Titans officially became SuperSport Series champions for the third time in the franchise’s history in spite of coming off second best against the bizhub Highveld Lions on the second day of the final round of four-day matches on Friday.

Their nearest challengers, the Gestetner Diamond Eagles, only managed to pick up 6.30 bonus points from their match against the Nashua Dolphins at the De Beers Diamond Oval, and, although they went on to win the match by eight wickets with more than two days to spare, it was not enough to get them ahead of the Titans.

The new champions will be crowned at a ceremony at the Liberty Life Wanderers Stadium at the weekend.

The Titans, having picked up only one bowling point as the Lions amassed a massive 526/9 declared, then struggled with the bat and by the close of the second day were still 400 runs adrift with six first innings wickets intact.

It was a day on which the Liberty Life Wanderers Stadium belonged to the home team’s 23-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman, Dane Vilas, who made his maiden first-class double century and his fourth century overall. After sharing a 228-run fifth wicket partnership with the experienced Alviro Petersen who finished on 129 (175 balls, 19x4, 3x6), Vilas took charge and was eventually ninth man out at the declaration for 203 (295 balls, 21x4, 4x6).

He is the second young wicketkeeper-batsman to score a double century in recent weeks following the performance of Heino Kuhn for the Titans against the Chevrolet Warriors.

The Warriors consolidated their grip on third place behind the Titans and the Diamond Eagles when they took a lead of 113 on the first innings against the Nashua Cape Cobras at Buffalo Park. The Cobras only managed 124 with three of their top five batsmen failing to score as Andrew Birch took 5/48.

The Warriors also struggled in their second innings, reaching 133/8 by the close, but it nevertheless gave them an overall lead of 246 runs. Their captain, Davy Jacobs, is still at the crease with an unbeaten 57 (86 balls, 6x4) to his credit.