Ken Borland

The Highveld Lions bowling attack produced their most complete performance of the competition so far, but Proteas batsmen Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks stole the show as their record-breaking partnership set up the 19-run win over the Titans in their CSA T20 Challenge derby at the Wanderers on Thursday night.

Hendricks, desperately unlucky to have been left out of the Proteas squad for the World Cup that was announced hours earlier, and Van der Dussen, whose fairytale ascent into international prominence will continue at that showpiece tournament, brought vastly different moods to the contest.

But they dovetailed superbly, adding 151 off just 94 balls, a record for the second wicket in the domestic franchise T20 competition, improving on the previous mark of 145 set by Hashim Amla and Stiaan van Zyl for the Cobras against the Lions in Paarl in 2013/14 and equalled by Morne van Wyk and Kevin Pietersen, playing for the Dolphins against the Warriors in East London, three seasons later.

It is a delicious irony that Hendricks beat an Amla record, seeing as though it was the out-of-form veteran who pipped him for a World Cup spot. While Amla’s class is irrefutable, Hendricks showed he has plenty of the same talents in his marvellous innings of 77 off just 61 balls, full of sparkling drives and a spectacular cut for six over the covers off fast bowler Junior Dala.

Van der Dussen was magnificent in blasting 85 off just 47 balls, with six fours and three sixes spread all round the Wanderers. He never seemed rushed and celebrated his World Cup inclusion in fine style, leading the Lions to a sizeable total of 181 for four after they had been sent in to bat.

T20 cricket in April is never going to attract beer-drinking masses but rather a few coffee-sipping die-hards, plus the autumn pitches are understandably slow, and Titans spinner Gregory Mahlokoana, whose figures of 4-0-22-1 were an excellent effort, was the only bowler to shine for the visitors, until the last over of the innings.

Dala (4-0-33-3) had looked in decent rhythm but he exploded in the 20th over, conceding just six runs and taking three wickets to give the Titans some cheer before their chase.

The early warning signs that the Lions bowlers were up for the contest were there as former Titans player Migael Pretorius, in his first franchise T20 game, smashed into the top of Tony de Zorzi’s off stump at the end of the second over.

Henry Davids (18) looked dangerous and hit three fours, before Dwaine Pretorius dismissed him with his second delivery, but then there were signs that the Titans’ two most in-form batsmen, Theunis de Bruyn and Diego Rosier, were seizing control as they added 56 in five overs.

Rosier (23 off 15) fell in freakish fashion, trying to sweep left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso but getting a bottom edge on to the flap of his back pad, which was flat on the ground. From there the ball bounced up and rebounded off his body to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton, the dismissal being confirmed by the TV umpire.

That it was not going to be the Titans’ night became clearer two overs later when De Bruyn (42 off 28) tried to just punch Nono Pongolo down to long-off but the bowler snaffled a wonderful reflex return catch.

The Titans did not seem ready for the introduction of Pongolo, the sixth bowler used, as he picked up three for 29 in his four destructive overs, and spinners Fortuin and Phangiso also returned to each take a wicket.

Once Farhaan Behardien was dismissed for just 8 as Fortuin pulled off an excellent piece of fielding on the cow-corner boundary, with 12th man Wihan Lubbe playing the supporting role to complete the catch, the Lions were ready to celebrate with the Titans seven down and needing 55 runs off 23 balls to win.

The Titans eventually staggered to 162 for nine in their 20 overs, with Fortuin once again setting the tone by taking one for 26 in his four overs. Pongolo was excellent too and paceman Pretorius made an encouraging T20 debut with two for 32 in four overs.

The Lions did not even need to bowl Proteas all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, which shows just how much in control they were.

South African fast bowling great Allan Donald believes a staid attack was the Proteas’ biggest problem in their failed ICC World T20 campaign in India.

“The batting was mostly wonderful, but where we lacked was in our bowling – there was no serious x-factor in the attack, that was missing and you could see it a mile away. There was a lack of imagination with the ball.

“That’s a serious team that went over there but one thing it lacked, if we analyse it honestly, was x-factor. When it came to crunch time with the ball, we couldn’t come up with something while other teams always found a way and there was some amazing death bowling in the tournament.

“We just couldn’t seem to find that way to step up during the big moments, which was particularly heartbreaking against England. We needed someone able to change the course of the game, that’s what we were missing,” Donald told The Citizen.

South Africa’s former bowling coach wondered whether Dale Steyn, the one fast bowler with the skill and prior experience of turning games around, should rather have just stayed at home given that he only bowled six overs in the tournament.

“Why does Dale play so little if you take him to the world cup, I didn’t quite get that. You choose a guy after one club game but then you hardly use him, as a champion fast bowler should you not back him?

“Kagiso Rabada is still a puppy, Chris Morris is making his way, he’s learning but is an exciting prospect. But that x-factor ability to change games comes with experience, you have to have the nous, the ability to suss the game out, see what’s going to happen four or five overs ahead of time, like a Shane Warne or Glenn McGrath for example,” Donald said.

As a recent member of the Proteas management, Donald said he did not want to carp about the performance of coach Russell Domingo.

“The coach has to make some tough selection decisions and Russell is quite smart in what he wants, he’s quite astute and has a good understanding of the game. I’m not going to give him heaps when it’s the team that hasn’t produced the goods. It’s very tough for a coach in those circumstances, it’s the toughest job in the world when things go wrong. Russell has enough on his plate dealing with all those pressures,” Donald said.

“We have so many different options that we have guys who can bowl anything, in any situation, on any pitch,” Chris Morris, the RamSlam T20 Challenge’s leading wicket-taker, said on Wednesday as he discussed the Titans’ bowling attack ahead of the final in Centurion on Saturday.

The Titans won an astonishing eight games in a row to comfortably top the log by 13 points and their bowlers have led the way with six in the top-20 of the averages, all-rounders David Wiese, Albie Morkel and Morris all being in the top four. Fast bowler Junior Dala and wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi have also excelled, and the Titans have other options in Lungi Ngidi, off-spinner Henry Davids and slow left-armer Graeme van Buuren.

“It’s gone pretty well for us as a unit and it has made it a lot easier for me knowing that there are a lot of other bowlers who can step up. The new guys have done very well and there’s a lot of back-up. I’ve never been in a team before that has every base so well covered,” Morris, who has taken 18 wickets, said.

The former Highveld Lions star said the Titans will go into the final eager just to keep enjoying themselves.

“The way Albie has captained the side has been aggressive and solid and we’re always looking to take wickets. We’re looking at Albie and Farhaan Behardien to see how they handle themselves before the final, it’s finals week, it doesn’t happen often, especially at home. We must just enjoy it – my theory is that you see the best catches in garden cricket because the guys are just having fun. So it’s vital for us to enjoy the final and it’s much more difficult to play against a happy team,” Morris said.