Captain Yaseen Vallie lead from the front with a half-century for the Warriors as they clinched a first win of the 4-Day Franchise Series season when they overcame the Titans by three wickets in Centurion on Thursday.
The skipper top-scored with 55 (69 balls, 7 fours) in a chase of 218 at SuperSport Park as the visitors reached their target just before scheduled tea on the final afternoon.
He received strong support from Rudi Second (39) and Lesiba Ngoepe, who completed a wonderful all-round game with a dashing 38 off 19 balls when the pressure was on late in the chase.
The Eastern Cape side eventually reached their target in 53 overs – in the process putting behind them a troubled start to 2020/21 with a much-needed victory against a Titans team that had won both their opening games.
They started day four with still plenty to do as the home side resumed their second innings on 265 for seven.
But their bowlers were on the money and two wickets from Basheer Walters (3/59) and the other from pick-of-the-bowlers Marco Jansen (4/66) helped blow away the lower order of the hosts in 6.5 overs, ending the innings on 289.
The Warriors lost Eddie Moore for 12 early in the chase, but Vallie and Matthew Breetzke (34) kept things calm by adding 71 runs for the second wicket to take their side to three figures.
Neil Brand (4/37) and Dayyaan Galiem (3/34) then ran through the middle order with quick wickets to ruffle the visiting side as they slipped from 100 for one to 162 for five.
But Second and then Ngoepe stood up when it counted most to take their side to a key win.
- Cricket South Africa