DAY 2: Titans and Knights delicately poised at close of play on day two

The Momentum Multiply Titans and Knights were delicately poised at the close of day two of their CSA 4-Day Series match with the hosts on 51/3 in their second innings at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.

After bowling out the Knights for 193 in the final session, securing a lead of 114-runs, the Titans second innings got off to a poor start as they lost three early wickets, before they rallied to end the day with a 165-run lead.

Matthew Pollard sparked the Knights fightback as he bowled opener Joshua van Heerden (7), pinned Keegan Petersen (2) LBW, and had Dewald Brevis (4) caught by Patrick Botha, to reduce the Titans to 31/3.

But captain Neil Brand (27no) and Jhedli van Briesies (7no) then battened down the hatches and took the hosts to the close without further trouble.

At the start of the post tea session the Knights resumed their first innings on 157/8, looking to get as many runs as possible to reduce the deficit on the Titans 307 all out in their first innings.

Tiaan van Vuuren (29) was key in helping them almost get to 200, as he shared in a 29-run ninth wicket stand with Dane Piedt (16), before the Knights captain was caught by Petersen off the bowling of Merrick Brett, and a 19-run last wicket partnership with Malusi Siboto (2no) before Van Vuuren was last man out caught by Brevis off Tsepo Ndwandwa.

Spinner Ndwandwa ended as the Titans star bowler with figures of 5/33, while Brett, 3/46, and Matthew Boast, 2/33, backed him up.

Earlier in the day the Knights reached lunch in an okay position on 109/3, but endured a torrid early afternoon session as they lost five wickets for the addition of just 48 runs.

In the post lunch session Dian Forrester (28) and Botha (31) resumed their innings, and extended their fourth wicket partnership to 41-runs.

Forrester was then the first wicket of the session, trapped LBW by Merrick Brett, leaving his side on 127/4.

Botha was going to be needed if the Knights were to produce a fightback, but he was next to fall, stumped by keeper Rivaldo Moonsamy after coming down the wicket at Ndwandwa, which sparked a collapse of four wickets for five runs.

Ndwandwa was the bowler running riot as he bowled Pollard (4), had Garnett Tarr (2) caught by Corbin Bosch, and had Aaron Phangiso caught by Van Briesies for a fifth ball duck, as they crashed to 145/8, before Van Vuuren and Piedt took side to tea.

In the morning session the Knights essentially started their innings from scratch after bowling out the Titans for 307 at the end of day one, and getting through the final over of the day without scoring or losing a wicket.

Opener Isaac Dikgale (5) was first to fall in the third over day two, caught by Van Briesies off the bowling of Matthew Boast, with the score 9/1.

Lesego Senokwane (34) and Aubrey Swanepoel (28) combined for a decent 53-run second wicket stand, with Swanepoel the aggressor as he struck six boundaries in his 27-ball stay, before he edged Brett to keeper Moonsamy, to leave them on 62/2.

Senokwane and Forrester could only add 24 to the total, before Boast bowled the opener, leaving Forrester and Botha to take their side to lunch.

MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Neil Brand (capt), Joshua van Heerden, Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Jhedli van Briesies, Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Andile Phehlukwayo, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Boast, Junior Dala, Tsepo Ndwandwa

KNIGHTS: Isaac Dikgale, Lesego Senokwane, Garnett Tarr (wk), Aubrey Swanepoel, Dian Forrester, Patrick Botha, Tiaan van Vuuren, Matthew Pollard, Aaron Phangiso, Dane Piedt (capt), Malusi Siboto