Centurion - Stephen Cook made a career best 125 and Hardus Viljoen took a superb six for 19 as the Highveld Lions demolished the Titans by 269 runs in their domestic One-day Cup match at Supersport Park on Friday.
Sent in to bat by the Titans, the Lions made the most of the conditions, scoring 329 for six in their 50 overs. Cook and Gulam Bodi put on 161 for the first wicket before Bodi was caught by Rowan Richards off Paul Harris for 71.
Quinton de Kock shared a 51-run stand with Cook before being caught behind by Mangaliso Mosehle off Ethy Mbhalati for 19. Those were the only major partnerships, but Cook and Bodi had set such a good platform that the Lions were untroubled as they passed the various milestones at a run a ball.
Cook went to his third one-day century off 108 balls, and was in sublime form until a misunderstanding with Neil McKenzie saw him run out by David Wiese. Jean Symes made 43 off 27 balls, and he and Chris Morris smashed 25 runs off the last over, bowled by Richards, to take the Lions to 329 for six. Symes smashed sixes off two consecutive balls, and Morris hit two fours.
Richards went for 78 runs off his seven overs, including 13 extras, while Ethy Mbhalati was the most economical bowler, taking one for 38 in 10 overs.
Needing to score at more than a run a ball, the Titans' run chase never got off the ground. The first over, bowled by Chris Morris, was a maiden and Man of the Match Viljoen claimed his first wicket with his third ball, when he bowled Henry Davids for a duck and started the Titans on their downward slide.
He had Pieter Malan caught by McKenzie for six, and then Morris came to the party, with Mosehle caught by Bodi for three. By the tenth over, the Titans were reeling on 20 for four, and Viljoen continued to take wickets. Farhaan Behardien was caught by Zander de Bruyn for one, and Roelof van der Merwe was caught by Ethan O'Reilly five balls later.
O'Reilly took two wickets off successive balls in his first over, to dismiss CJ de Villiers out lbw for eight, and Paul Harris, caught behind by De Kock for a duck. Mbhalati became Viljoen's sixth victim when he was caught in the slips by Neil McKenzie without scoring, and it was up to David Wiese and Richards to try to keep the Titans' flag flying.
Wiese made 24 not out, including three fours and a six, and managed to save the hosts the embarrassment of not getting past 50, but when Richards was bowled by O'Reilly for four, the Titans were all out for 60 their lowest one-day total. - Sapa