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Yusuf heroics upstage Brevis hundred as Lions edge Titans in thriller

rugby21 February 2025 20:08| © MWP
By:Ross Roche
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DP World Lions seamer Codi Yusuf picked up the last four wickets to upstage a stunning century from Momentum Multiply Titans rising star Dewald Brevis, as the visitors clinched a thrilling five-run win in their CSA One-Day Cup match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday night.

 

Brevis slammed seven sixes and six fours in a brilliant 102 off just 72 balls, as he almost took his side to a fantastic win, but it was the nerveless Yusuf who came up clutch, removing the last four batters to finish with top figures of 4-53 in 9.5 overs, including getting Brevis, that secured his team the result.

In a game reduced to 49 overs a side due to a brief rain delay in the first innings, the Lions were put into bat by the Titans who won the toss, and managed a decent 300-9 thanks to half centuries from eventual man-of-the-match Reeza Hendricks, and Zubayr Hamza.

The Titans chase got off to a rollicking start as openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 44 off 37 balls (7x4; 2x6), and Rivaldo Moonsamy (29) shared in an impressive 81-run partnership within the first 14 overs.

However, the Lions hit back as Pretorius was bowled by captain Bjorn Fortuin and Moonsamy edged Delano Potgieter to keeper Wandile Makwetu as they slipped to 88-2 in the 15th over.

Captain Neil Brand (38) and Keegan Petersen (17), added 42 to the total, before Petersen was bowled by the surprising sight of Hendricks, who is known far more for his batting than his bowling.

That brought Brevis to the crease and he produced a show-stopping innings to get his team to the brink, while wickets fell at the other end.

Having combined for a 47-run partnership, Brand was caught by Mitchell van Buuren and Sibonelo Makhanya was caught for a first- ball duck by Connor Esterhuizen, both off successive Tshepo Moreki deliveries, as they fell to 177-5 in the 33rd over.

Andile Phehlukwayo (10) crucially stuck around and gave Brevis the strike in a 59-run sixth-wicket stand, but he was bowled by Potgieter and Dayyaan Galiem (2) was caught by Van Buuren off Yusuf as they slipped to 240-7 in the 42nd over.

With Brevis running out of partners he decided to take some pressure off and targeted the 44th over bowled by Moreki where he crunched 23 runs off it to bring the rate to under a run-a-ball as they went from needing 50 off 36 balls to 27 off 30.

He hammered back-to-back sixes back over the bowler's head, smashed a four to wide long off, slashed another boundary and then finished the over with a two and a one as he took himself to 98.

He eased to his century with a two in the next over, but with it looking like he would take his team home, Brevis suffered a brain fade, as he tried to launch another six when it wasn’t needed, sending a ball from Yusuf straight down Esterhuizen’s throat at long on, leaving them on 280-8.

Veteran Netherlands international Roelof van der Merwe (10) and Matthew Boast (5) however couldn’t tick off the final 21 runs needed in the closing overs, as Yusuf, bowling the penultimate with 10 needed off 12, stunningly bowled both batters to seal it for the Lions.

HENDRICKS AND HAMZA IN THE RUNS

In the first innings the hosts got off to a decent start with the ball, only for Hendricks, 94 off 93 balls (10x4; 3x6), and Hamza, 68 off 64 (7x4; 1x6), to set the platform with a strong 99-run third-wicket partnership.

Potgieter, 42 off 35 (4x4; 1x6), and Esterhuizen, 37 off 35 (5x4), then produced good cameos towards the end of the innings, but regular wickets meant the Lions weren’t able to fully capitalise and post a more daunting score in excess of 300.

The Lions innings got off to a poor start as Joshua Richards edged Galiem to Petersen in the slips to fall for a third-ball duck in the first over.

Makwetu (16) managed to weather the opening storm, but couldn’t see out the powerplay as he fell on the stroke of the 10th over, with him caught by Junior Dala off the bowling of Makhanya, with the score 54-2.

That brought Hamza in to join Hendricks and they set about building a platform with a good stand, as Hendricks reached his 50 and the Lions moved past the hundred run mark.

After getting past the 150, Hendricks, who was looking odds on for a century, played across the line at a ball from Phehlukwayo and only managed to get a top edge to Dala out in the deep at cow corner, leaving them on 153-3 in the 27th over.

Hamza was joined by Van Buuren (16) and they added 46 to the total, including Hamza cruising past 50, before he popped a return catch back to bowler Van Der Merwe, who also accounted for Van Buuren soon after, leaving the Lions in a tricky position on 213-5 in the 36th over.

But Potgieter and Esterhuizen combined for a 62-run stand, with both playing positively before Dala castled Esterhuizen, who missed a swipe across the line.

Fortuin (10) and Potgieter tried to get the Lions over the 300-run mark, but after adding 23 runs in 18 balls, Galiem bowled a fantastic final over, removing Fortuin, Potgieter and Yusuf (1), while conceding two runs, as the Titans finished the innings on top.

Galiem was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4-73 in his 10 overs, while Van Der Merwe, 2-40, backed him up well.

TITANS: Lhuan-Dre Pretorius (wk), Rivaldo Moonsamy, Neil Brand (capt), Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Sibonelo Makhanya, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dayyaan Galiem, Matthew Boast, Roelof van der Merwe, Junior Dala

LIONS: Joshua Richards, Wandile Makwetu (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Zubayr Hamza, Mitchell van Buuren, Connor Esterhuizen, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin (capt), Codi Yusuf, Tshepo Moreki, Lutho Sipamla

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