All-round Klaasen powers Titans to emphatic win

Titans pocketed a bonus point in their win over Knights © Getty

A clinical show with the ball was followed by brisk half-centuries from Heinrich Klaasen and Heino Kuhn as Titans extended their dominance in the ongoing South African domestic season with a seven wicket win in the One Day Cup game against Knights at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday (December 22).

Shimane Alfred Mothoa, Tabraiz Shamsi, Klaasen and Junior Dala picked up two wickets apiece to bowl Knights out for 212. Klaasen then scored an unbeaten 91 off only 59 deliveries, including 11 fours and five sixes, and with good support from Kuhn made short work of the target as Titans romped home with 21 overs to spare.

Having opted to bowl first, Titans drew first blood in the fourth over when David Wiese accounted for Patrick Kruger. A 65-run partnership between Rudi Second (52) and Keegan Petersen provided the platform for Knights' innings. However, a collapse ensued as Knights slipped to 122 for 5, losing four wickets for only 37 runs.

While David Miller tried to keep the innings afloat with an unbeaten half-century, he hardly received any support from the other end as Knights kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Marchant de Lange scored a handy 23 off 12 deliveries but Knights' innings folded as early as the 43rd over with Miller stranded on 62.

Titans went about the chase in a positive manner as Kuhn and Andrea Agathangelou added 40 for the opening wicket. While Knights managed to make some inroads with the dismissals of Agathangelou and Rivaldo Moonsamy - both wickets picked up by Mbulelo Budaza - Kuhn and Klaasen combined for a third-wicket stand worth 81 runs to keep Titans on track.

Werner Coetsee ended the partnership by sending back Kuhn for 68 in the 21st over to leave Titans at 145 for 3. However, that was the last dismissal of Titans' innings as Klaasen and Farhaan Behardien ensured a quick finish to the game with their unbeaten 71-run stand that came in less than nine overs, helping their side bag a bonus point in the process.

Brief scores: Knights 212 in 42.4 overs (David Miller 62*, Rudi Second 52; Tabraiz Shamsi 2-28, Heinrich Klaasen 2-38) lost to Titans 216/3 in 29 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 91*, Heino Kuhn 68; Mbulelo Budaza 2-34) by 7 wickets.