Richards rarity takes Titans to triumph

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

HATTRICKS are rare enough and hattricks to clinch victory rarer still – but Rowan Richards knew both feelings after bowling the Titans to a dramatic victory in their first-class match against the Warriors in Benoni on Sunday.

Richards removed Athenkosi Dyili, Sisanda Magala and Basheeru-Deen Walters with what became the last three balls of the game to complete his haul of 5/31.

That sealed his seventh five-wicket haul but not his career-best performance, and it spearheaded the Titans to victory by 170 runs.

In Potchefstroom, Werner Coetsee roared hard at the Lions – his erstwhile team – taking 4/34 as the Knights won by 143 runs.

The Warriors were quickly reduced to 57/3 in search of a tall target of 414 and it was clear that Colin Ingram was their main hope of survival.

Ingram, who scored 111 in the first innings, shared stands of 54 with Colin Ackermann for the fourth wicket and 113 with Ryan Bailey for the fifth.

But Richards struck the crucial blow when he dismissed Ingram for 93 with the Warriors looking up at a mountain that was then still 189 runs high.

Richards also dealt with Simon Harmer before snuffing out the innings, which meant the left-arm seamer took the last five wickets to fall in a clatter of 6/18.

Gihahn Cloete’s 135, Gerhardt Abrahams’ 67 and Rudi Second’s 74 put the Knights on the road to a towering total.

But, with Hardus Viljoen in full cry for his 5/77, their middle order fell away and they lost their last five wickets for 57 runs.

That left the Lions to chase 281 to win, and they announced their intentions by promoting Quinton de Kock to No. 3.

However, no-one except Thami Tsolekile – he of the 113 in the first innings – scored more than 15 as the Lions crashed to 137 all out in 43.5 overs.

Tsolekile was last out for 56 when he top-edged a delivery from Coetsee and was caught at short leg.

After two rounds, the Knights top the log followed by the Lions, Titans and Warriors.

The Cobras and Dolphins have yet to start their campaigns because of their involvement in the Champions League T20 in India.