Smuts ton helps Warriors edge Titans

JJ Smuts' 101 cancelled out Grant Thomson's 98 as Warriors edged Titans with a ball to spare in the Momentum One Day Cup opener in Centurion.

Needing 14 off 12 balls, Warriors lost Simon Harmer and Sisanda Magala in a space of four balls but Andrew Birch and Bashreeru-Deen Walters, who hit the winning runs, saw their side home. The chase of 328, though, was set up by Smuts, who was the dominant partner in a 133-run stand with No.3 Yaseen Vallie. Smuts struck 14 fours and two sixes before right-arm pacer Ethy Mbhalati had the opener caught behind in the 24th over.Titans struck back, triggering a slide, as Warriors went from 160 for 1 to 230 for 6. Simon Harmer, who had taken two wickets earlier in the day, and Birch then took charge of the chase, crashing 89 in only 7.5 overs. Birch smashed five fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 28-ball 55.

Titans, however, had begun well after being inserted. Each of the top three had bright starts but none managed to convert it into a big score. However, Dean Elgar and Thomson gave the innings some ballast and then impetus with an 87-run partnership. Simon Harmer broke the stand in the 39th over when he had Elgar caught by Somila Seyibokwe for 57 but Quaasim Adams became the third half-centurion for his team. Titans plundered 70 runs off the last five overs but they eventually came up short.