PAARL: Veteran, Aaron Phangiso starred with bat and ball to help Momentum Multiply Titans make it two wins from two as they edged out Gbets Rocks in the latest round of Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge games on Sunday.
The defending champions won by four wickets at Boland Park, ensuring that all four teams who won their opening fixtures of the 2023/24 campaign on Friday – the others being World Sports Betting Western Province, DP World Lions and Dafabet Warriors – won again in round two.
Spinner Phangiso, 40, made his mark by first claiming a miserly 1/16 in four overs, playing a key part in restricting the Rocks to 126/9 after they won the toss and batted.
Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi was the pick of the bowlers bagging 4/23 with Lizaad Williams collecting 2/30.
Although Sibonelo Makhanya (34) and Rivaldo Moonsamy (25) managed to get starts up front, the Centurion-based outfit found themselves in trouble on 99/6 in the 17th over after returns of 2/22 apiece by Michael Copeland and Siyabonga Mahima.
But Phangiso crunched two sixes and four in a dashing 25 off 9 balls to rescue his side and carry them to their target with five deliveries to spare.
Down the road in Cape Town, Province made light work of seeing off AET Tuskers by seven wickets at World Sports Betting Newlands Cricket Ground.
After winning the toss and batting, the KwaZulu-Natal side limped to 115/7 with lower-order pair Keith Dudgeon (26) and Alindile Mhletywa (24) heavily relied on.
As they did on Friday, Kyle Simmonds (2/20) and Nandre Burger (2/22) again did the business, supported well by Mtiwekhaya Nabe (2/28).
Jonathan Bird then plundered an unbeaten 61 off just 33 balls (6 fours, 4 sixes) to lead his side to a bonus-point win with 45 balls to spare.
There was also a second successive bonus-point win for the Warriors after they smashed the Hollywoodbets Dolphins by seven wickets at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
The home side simply could not get going after winning the toss and batting, ending on 121/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
Marco Jansen (2/14) and Siya Simetu (2/15) were the two stand out bowlers, while former Warriors’ captain, Jon-Jon Smuts top-scored with 30.
In reply, Jiveshan Pillay (42) and Matthew Breetzke (31) did most of the damage with the bat to ensure their side won at a canter, with 35 balls to spare.
Finally in Potchefstroom, the Lions defeated Auto Investments North West Dragons by nine wickets for their bonus-point win as Reeza Hendricks shone with both bat and ball.
But before his destructive 57* off 30 balls (8 fours, 2 sixes) took the visitors to their 104 target in 10.4 overs, Junaid Dawood claimed 3/23 in a strong bowling display for the Johannesburg side.
Kwena Maphaka continued to impress, claiming 2/11 with the new ball, while captain Bjorn Fortuin took 2/14. Hendricks too was amongst those to strike, sending down three overs for his return of 1/18 in another good showing by the recently crowned CSA 4-Day Series champions.
Source: cricket.co.za
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