Boland cruise to bonus-point win over Titans

Gavin Kaplan struck an unbeaten 42 to steer Goldrush Boland to a five-wicket bonus-point victory over the Momentum Multiply Titans in their CSA One-Day Challenge encounter at Boland Park on Sunday afternoon.

The toss went Boland's way and their captain, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin, asked the visitors to bat first.

The Titans were bundled out for 110 in 41.4 overs. Gavin Kaplan held up an end as he shepherded Boland to 111-5 in 36 overs.

This season, Boland will play four home games in the group stage of the competition.

Winning all their contests at Boland Park sets up for either topping the table and automatic qualification to the final or playoff slot.

This victory holds them in good stead.

At the toss, Reeves-Fortuin shared that he expected the pitch to be sticky in the morning session and to dry out, becoming easier to bat on as the day progressed.

The Boland captain was right on the first count. The surface was tough to bat on. However, it did not get easier.

SPIN TRIAL

Imraan Manack and Shaun von Berg put the visitors on trial by spin and the Titans did not fare well under examination.

Manack ran things in the powerplay, backed up by Glenton Stuurman.

The 33-year-old bagged two wickets for six runs in a brilliant five-over spell to leave the visitors reeling.

Manack finished with an outstanding three wickets for 12 runs in 7.4 overs.

Shaun von Berg took the baton immediately after the powerplay and caused more problems for the Titans.

He bagged two scalps in his first seven deliveries to send the visitors into a tailspin.

Von Berg finished with three wickets for 27 runs in 10 overs.

The pair's brilliance with the ball set Boland up for a comfortable win.

Boland prevailed by not losing as many wickets up front as the visitors.

The Titans were three wickets down after the powerplay, thanks to some inspired bowling from Imraan Manack and Glenton Stuurman.

Manack finished his first spell with two wickets for six runs in five overs.

Stuurman took a single wicket for 13 runs in his first five overs.

The home team was on 24-1 after the first 10 overs and looking in a strong position to win.

Kaplan was brought to the crease by Grant Roelofsen's dismissal.

He watched five different partners come and go, as they failed to negotiate the Titans' spinners.

Most failed to read the spin, while others opted for cross-bat shots when they should have resorted to straight-bat strokes.

Kaplan played with a straight bat.

Roelof van der Merwe and Tsepo Ndwandwa shared the five wickets that the Titans took between them.

Ndwandwa led with three wickets for 21 runs in seven overs and Van der Merwe bagged two wickets for 28 runs in 10 overs.

SINGLE-DIGIT SCORES DOMINATE TITANS SCORECARD

Earlier in the day, Titans failed to register an unassailable total because none of their top six batters played the role Kaplan did for Boland.

All of them fell for single-digit scores. Dayyaan Galiem, who came in at No 7, was the first to break the trend, and by then, it was too little, too late.

Galiem and Roelof van der Merwe briefly arrested the Titans' rapid decline with a 56-run eighth-wicket partnership.

The stand lasted for 76 minutes and was broken when Aya Gqamane sent Roelof van der Merwe's stumps cartwheeling.

Van der Merwe had scored a valiant 23 off 62.

Galiem did not last long in the aftermath of Van der Merwe's dismissal.

He adopted an aggressive approach to Aviwe Mgijima's over just before the 40th over.

He launched the part-timer for six off the second delivery Mgijima sent down.

He tried to repeat the feat on the next ball, but he didn't strike it as sweetly as he would have liked and sent it to Pieter Malan at long-on.

He perished for 45 off 72 balls.

Reeves-Fortuin deployed six bowlers and all of them had success.

Glenton Stuurman, Keith Dudgeon, Aya Gqamane, and Aviwe Mgijima took a wicket each.

BOLAND: Grant Roelofsen, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin (capt, wk), Gavin Kaplan, Pieter Malan, Aviwe Mgijima, Michael Copeland, Keith Dudgeon, Shaun von Berg, Aya Gqamane, Imraan Manack, Glenton Stuurman

TITANS: Lhuan-Dre Pretorius (wk), Rivaldo Moonsamy, Neil Brand (capt), Keegan Petersen, Dewald Brevis, Sibonelo Makhanya, Dayyaan Galiem, Matthew Boast, Roelof van der Merwe, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Lesego Kokohlabana.