Rory Kleinveldt reminds of his value with fine spell in Centurion

The Cape Cobras showed how dramatically they have grown as a force under new coach Ashwell Prince as they hammered the Titans by nine wickets in Centurion on Sunday.

Rory Kleinveldt is a large man but he is still putting in big performances with the ball.

The veteran’s five for 45 in 18 overs saw the Titans bowled out in their second innings for 168, meaning they could only set the Cobras a target of 38 for victory.

The final day had started with some promise for the Titans, as they resumed on 21 without loss, still 110 behind, and openers Heino Kuhn and Aiden Markram put on 61 in just 13 overs.

But the home side failed to build on that bright start, with Markram gloving a hook at a Lizaad Williams delivery that got big on him and being caught behind for 24.

Kleinveldt then stepped forward on to centre stage as he picked up three wickets in a devastating six-over spell that thoroughly messed up the Titans innings.

Kuhn (41) was snapped up by diving wicketkeeper Dane Vilas after edging a delivery that cut away from him.

Kleinveldt and Williams then raised the pressure with a period of 25 balls that brought just a no-ball and no runs from the bat.

Dean Elgar had battled to pick up a run off Kleinveldt and then the 12^th delivery he faced from the veteran seamer bounced a bit more than expected.

He was caught behind by Vilas for a duck.

Henry Davids (4) was also undone by the fired-up Kleinveldt when he tried to play a well-directed short delivery.

Through all of this, number three batsman Grant Mokoena was practically scoreless as he struggled to five off 54 balls before being trapped lbw by Tshepo Moreki.

When lunch offered some respite for the Titans, they were struggling to stave off defeat on 110 for five.

Heinrich Klaasen and Jonathan Vandiar (21) added 47 for the sixth wicket, but there was no denying Kleinveldt when he returned, as his second ball back was a brute that jagged back and reared up into Vandiar.

Vilas would finish with seven dismissals in the match, a record for the Cobras against the Titans.

The experienced David Wiese was the Titans’ last hope but he was only there for 11 balls, scoring two, before he tried to drive Kleinveldt over the covers.

Cobras captain Dane Piedt was there to take a stinging catch.

The tenacious Klaasen went to his second half-century of the match in 196 minutes, off 123 balls, but Malusi Siboto (3), Junior Dala (0) and Rowan Richards (0*) could not add much to the scoreboard.

With more than two hours of play left the Titans tried to delay the inevitable with good bowling.

Siboto’s first delivery was bang on target, angling across the left-handed Omphile Ramela and having him caught behind for five.

How the Titans could have done with their banker showing the same control in the first innings!

Andrew Puttick (15*) and Stiaan van Zyl (18*) then completed the chase, Van Zyl showing how to finish a match in style by launching Wiese for a huge six over mid-off and then driving Siboto sumptuously through the covers for four and the winning runs.

The Titans have now lost ground on the overall log.

The Knights, inspired by Duanne Olivier’s 11 wickets, hammered the Warriors by 121 runs in Bloemfontein and picked up more than 20 bonus points to go top on 87.18 points.

Mark Boucher’s charges are now back in third on 76.66.

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