Standard Bank Cup, 3rd round

Eagles stumble in run chase

Keith Lane

December 2, 2005

In a much closer game in Centurion the Titans managed to clinch a tense two-run win over the Eagles with the match going down to the final over, with the Eagles needing 13 runs to win. Having been set a target of 227, the Eagles were well on the way to a win to extend their lead at the top of the table. An opening partnership of 140 between Loots Bosman (63) and Jonathan Beukus (88) was broken with consecutive wickets to Dale Steyn. A mini-collapse followed from which the Eagles simply never recovered from. Earlier, Titans had posted a total of 226 thanks mainly to a 79 off 73 balls from the hard hitting Gerald Dros, this after Pierre de Bruyn has steadied the top of the innings scoring 50.

In a low scoring match at Port Elizabeth the Warriors won their first match of the series with a convincing 39-run victory over a depleted Cape Cobras. The Cobras could only manage 135 after the Warriors, who won the toss, had scrambled to 176 for 7 in their 45 overs. Man of the match Carl Bradfield batted through the Warriors innings to score 86 valuable runs. Rory Kleinveldt was the most successful Cobras bowler taking 3 for 38 in his nine overs while Mario Olivier, although expensive in his 5.5 overs, took 5 for 53 for the Warriors.

At the Wanderers in Johannesburg the Lions, after scoring a massive 302 for 6 in their innings, outplayed the Dolphins by restricting them to 252 for 7 to win by 50 runs. Sent in to bat first, the Dolphins bowlers took a pounding as first Adam Bacher (66) and Stephen Cook (93) put on 142 for the first wicket for the Lions, and then Neil McKenzie smashed the ball around the Bull Ring scoring 87 from just 64 balls. He hit seven boundaries and three sixes on a batsman friendly pitch. With the Dolphins losing three early wickets they were always against the clock. Ahmed Amla (59), Duncan Brown (53) and Russell Symcox (50 not out) did try to keep the Dolphins in the game but were unable to get in touch with the run rate.

Keith Lane works for Cricinfo in South Africa

© Cricinfo

	Email

Fantasy cricket: India v Australia and Bangladesh v New Zealand Login to check the standings     Watch our daily Cricinfo SportsCenter news round-ups Available on Cricinfo.tv     Live scores, news & ball-by-ball commentary on your phone Cricinfo Mobile

Players/Umpires

Ahmed Amla

Carl Bradfield

Gerald Dros

Rory Kleinveldt

Neil McKenzie

Mario Olivier

Dale Steyn

Series/Tournaments

Standard Bank Cup

South Africa Domestic Season

Teams

Cape Cobras

Dolphins

Eagles

Lions

South Africa

Titans

Warriors