Lions thrash Titans

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 27, Neil McKenzie of the Lions hits a six on his way to his 100 runs during the 1 Day Cup match between bizhub Highveld Lions and Nashua Titans from Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on November 27, 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 27, Neil McKenzie of the Lions hits a six on his way to his 100 runs during the 1 Day Cup match between bizhub Highveld Lions and Nashua Titans from Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on November 27, 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images

Published Nov 27, 2011

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Determined to move off the bottom of the log, the Lions won their second match on the trot in the One-day Cup competition, thrashing the Titans by 142 runs at the Wanderers on Sunday.

Neil McKenzie set the pace with his unbeaten 108 runs as the Lions amassed 338/5 after being sent in to bat first.

Man-of-the-Match Cliffe Deacon took a five-wicket haul and Pumelela Matshikwe bagged four scalps to dismiss the Titans for 196.

The visitors lost the early wicket of Henry Davids, lbw to Deacon, before they had a run on the board, and Mangaliso Mosehle, who made eight, followed in exactly the same manner, in the left-arm seamer's second over.

The next four wickets all fell to Matshikwe. His first scalp was Proteas' opening batsman Jacques Rudolph (14), who drove on the up to Jonathan Vandiar at mid-off.

Martin van Jaarsveld went for a duck as he attempted to drive Matshikwe square of the wicket but found Aaron Phangiso at backward point.

Faf du Plessis showed some resistance, sharing a run-a-ball half-century stand for the fourth wicket with Farhaan Behardien (35) before the latter fell lbw to Matshikwe.

After hitting a four and a six in the same over, Du Plessis pulled a delivery from Matshikwe straight to Alviro Petersen at extra cover. He made 41 runs off 40 balls and his innings included five fours a six.

Deacon came back into the attack and demolished the tail but not before David Wiese played a cameo innings of 39 off 23 balls with five fours and two sixes.

Earlier, Jonathan Vandiar and Alviro Petersen shared a 121-run opening partnership.

Vandiar, who made 52, scored his eighth half-century before being bowled by Roelof van der Merwe, while Petersen scored freely for his 45.

McKenzie, 36, showed he had plenty of runs left in him as he scored his fourth century and highest score in domestic limited overs cricket.

His 108 runs came off 88 deliveries, and included 14 boundaries and a six.

While runs were aplenty, it was the extras conceded by the Titans that became the focus of the innings.

The visitors set a new record for the most extras conceded in limited-overs cricket in South Africa, giving away 54 runs, of which 41 were wides.

The previous record of 53 was set by North West against Free State in the 2007/08 season.

The main culprits were Hardus Viljoen, who bowled 17 wides (nine wides and eight wide-extras) and Marchant de Lange, who took 3/73 but conceded 10 wides (six wides and four wide-extras).

The Titans used eight bowlers in their unsuccessful effort to stem the run flow, but only De Lange and Van der Merwe (2/44) had any success. – Sapa

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