Ken Borland

Theunis de Bruyn said he had to call upon the services of all his willpower and cricketing intelligence on his way to his matchwinning century that took the Titans to a daunting target of 316 in their 4-Day Domestic Series match against the Cape Cobras at Newlands this week.

On a coastal pitch that was much slower than the Highveld wickets De Bruyn is used to, with the ball turning from Day One and a quality spinner brimming with confidence in George Linde, the 28-year-old knew it would be a mental challenge as much as anything to get the Titans to a total that was more than double what they had managed in the first innings.

“It was more about character than skill and we really wanted to win because it’s always nice beating the Cobras. There was just that will to win even though it was an above-par total to chase and it wasn’t easy – if you bowled tight lines then it wasn’t easy to score because there was no pace and there was turn from Day One.

“We messed up tactically in the first innings, but we made clever decisions in the second knock, even with simple things like where we took guard. So I felt in control but the heart was still pumping all the time, the game was on a knife-edge and you know that if something happens to you then you’ll probably lose. Junior Dala and I took it in 10-run blocks, but it felt like forever,” De Bruyn, who scored an heroic 127, told The Citizen on Friday.

As a leader in the Titans team, De Bruyn says the mood in the new-look squad, with coach Mandla Mashimbyi now in charge from the start of the season for the first time, is especially good at the moment.

“We’re in a very good space and I’m enjoying the new okes in the team. Our bowlers did very well and I haven’t played in a four-day game for a very long time in which I’ve seen the consistent skill and intensity that Lizaad Williams and Okuhle Cele bowled with. And we have okes with experience in the side and there’s that transfer of information. We actually played a great game apart from 45 minutes of chaos in the first innings.”

While openers Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram played a key role with their fluent opening stand of 105 on the third afternoon and are likely to feature in the Proteas Test squad in December, De Bruyn wants to get himself back into the international picture and his masterful display against spin will surely be noticed.

“On my last tour to India, Amol Muzumdar [batting consultant] gave me some good hints on front-foot play against spin. Now I’m playing with a bit more wristiness and it felt like I could access the off-side better, with more intensity but less effort. Coming from Pretoria, I’ve always been good against quick bowling, so at the start of my career I worked hard on how to play spin, especially when the ball is turning.

“That Test hundred in Sri Lanka gave me a lot of confidence, but I still feel I can improve a lot against spin, even more so than against pace,” De Bruyn said.

The fairytale rise to prestige is a staple of children’s books and for Glenton Stuurman those dreams just keep coming true as the 28-year-old paceman was named in a  Proteas squad for the first time, when new convenor of selectors Victor Mpitsang on Friday announced a 24-man group for both the ODIs and the T20 internationals against England starting on November 27.

Stuurman, born in Oudtshoorn, plied his trade for South-Western Districts before making his franchise debut for the Warriors in 2018/19. He has only played five 50-over franchise games in his career, taking four wickets at an average of 53.50 and an economy rate of 6.11, and he has not played in a single franchise T20 match.

Nevertheless, Stuurman is certainly a rising star in South African cricket and his skills are reminiscent of those of the recently-retired Vernon Philander.

Stuurman is the only player in the expanded (due to the Covid bubble they will be in) 24-man squad who has not yet appeared for the Proteas, so Mpitsang has not arrived with a new broom just yet.

A powerful contingent of fast bowlers is led by IPL stars Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, and also includes Lungi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla and Beuran Hendricks, while Titans white-ball star Junior Dala is fully fit again and recalled to the Proteas set-up.

Former captain Faf du Plessis, who has shown some evergreen form in the IPL, is also included, and neutrals will be looking on with some amusement as the selectors try and fit him, Jon-Jon Smuts, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen and Kyle Verreynne all into the same middle-order. Klaasen, Miller, Smuts and Verreynne all shone in the 3-0 whitewash of Australia in March.

Captain Quinton de Kock’s opening partner will also be a toss-up between Janneman Malan, who scored a superb 129 not out against the Aussies, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks.

Squad -Quinton de Kock (captain), Temba Bavuma, Junior Dala, Faf du Plessis, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Jon-Jon Smuts, Glenton Stuurman, Pite van Biljon, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne. 

A tremendous Theunis de Bruyn century and terrific lower-order support from Junior Dala carried the Titans to a thrilling come-from-behind win over the Cape Cobras in their 4-Day Domestic Series match at Newlands on Thursday.

Set 316 to win after trailing by 114 runs on first innings, the Titans made it to their target with just two wickets in hand thanks to De Bruyn’s magnificent 127 off 204 deliveries.

The Titans began the final day on 195 for three, but they slumped to 233 for six as left-arm spinner George Linde claimed his eighth and ninth wickets of the match. But De Bruyn was still there and Dala helped him add a crucial 54 for the seventh wicket.

De Bruyn was dismissed 29 runs short of victory as left-arm spinner David Schierhout turned a delivery sharply to have him well-taken low at slip by Zubayr Hamza, but Dala held his nerve to steer the Titans home with a defiant, matchwinning 41 not out.

In Durban, an inspired Dolphins side beat the defending champion Imperial Lions by nine wickets.

The Lions went into the final day on 75 for three, still trailing by 125 runs, and they were bowled out for 210 in 47.4 more overs on Thursday as Proteas left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took six for 101 in 38.4 overs and off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen claimed three for 63 in 28 overs.

That left the Dolphins with just 11 runs to win, which they knocked off in 2.4 overs to start their season in fine style.

In Bloemfontein, the Warriors lost their last three wickets for the addition of just 13 runs to lose by 179 runs to the Knights.

Left-arm paceman Mbulelo Budaza finished with four for 47, while opener Matthew Breetzke was left stranded on a dogged 77 not out.

The Knights look on course for an easy win over the Warriors, while the Dolphins have a slightly tougher task to beat the Imperial Lions and the match between the Cape Cobras and the Titans is set for a thrilling conclusion going into the final day of the opening round of 4-Day Domestic Series matches.

The Knights are just three wickets away from victory against the Warriors in Bloemfontein, with the visitors still needing 193 runs to win. Their best hope is opener Matthew Breetzke, who is still at the crease with a defiant 71 not out.

The Knights, leading by 272 runs on first innings, ran into trouble against paceman Mthiwekhaya Nabe (3-21) on Wednesday morning and eventually declared their second innings on 93 for eight. First-innings centurion Jacques Snyman again top-scored, with 33.

The Warriors, chasing an unlikely 366 for victory, closed on 173 for seven, with fast bowler Migael Pretorius leading the Knights charge with three for 25 in 14 overs.

At Newlands, the Titans were set 316 to beat the Cobras and it is a target they just might reach as they reached stumps on 195 for three, just 121 runs away.

Theunis de Bruyn is their key man, looking in great touch on his way to 63 not out. The Titans were given a great start to their daunting chase as openers Dean Elgar (58) and Aiden Markram (48) put on 105 in positive fashion.

The Titans had earlier bowled the Cobras out for 201, with Kyle Verreynne scoring a crucial 85, while spinner Tabraiz Shamsi claimed four for 79.

In Durban, the Dolphins rode the record second-wicket stand of 337 between Sarel Erwee and Keegan Petersen to take control of their match against the Lions, declaring on 458 for three for a first-innings lead of exactly 200.

Erwee showed tremendous focus and judgement in scoring 199, before he drove Dwaine Pretorius to Temba Bavuma at short-cover, finishing agonisingly short of a maiden franchise double-century. Petersen was a superb foil at the other end, scoring a brilliantly compiled 173 as he and opener Erwee broke the record for the highest partnership for any wicket at Kingsmead.

Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj is the obvious main threat for the Lions on the last day and he has already taken three for 37 as the visitors struggled to 75 for three at stumps.