Henry Davids has still got it, even at age 39, he can produce an innings players 20 years younger can only dream about.
The Multiply Titans thrashed the WSB Cape Cobras by seven wickets in Wednesday night’s CSA T20 Challenge match in Benoni thanks to another blistering innings from their veteran opener.
“It was very clinical, all round team performance. The intensity we played at, with both bat and ball, was impressive,” said Davids.
It was Davids’ 39-ball innings of 57, which flattened the visitors from the Cape, a knock which featured his trademark lofted cover drive but also some punishing blows straight down the ground.
“Our intensity was unbelievable. It was an underpar score and it was extra tough for them because the outfield was slow and then wet because of the dew,” said Davids, who hit eight fours and a six, which saw him named ‘Batsman of the Match.’
Besides Davids the match also featured outstanding displays from the Titans’ two spinners Gregory Mahlokwana, who bowled with both his left and right arms and leg-spinner Shaun von Berg, who got a number of deliveries to spin viciously passed the Cobras batsmen. That pair both conceded less than 20 runs in their respective four-over spells, never allowing the Cobras to break free after they’d battled in the opening power play and scored just 38 runs losing the wickets of Hashim Amla and David Bedingham in the process..
“You saw that intensity with Hawky (Eldred Hawken) who bowled a no-ball in his first over but then to come back, says a lot about him, he showed a lot of character. Getting those wickets up front was ideal for us.”
The Cobras did recover after that bad start to post 150/5, with Kyle Verreynne holding the innings together before retiring hurt after scoring 44, while Vernon Philander (22*) and Rory Kleinveldt (12*) hit some big blows towards the latter stages of the innings.
Davids then shared partnerships of 51 for the second wicket with Theunis de Bruyn (29) and 56 for the third with Diego Rosier (43*) as the Titans sailed to victory with 26 balls to spare.
“The way (Rosier) came in, the intensity he showed was very good. I was going well at that stage and he just kept it up and that puts pressure on the opposition bowlers, it’s great for us going forward. A lot of teams go conservative in that middle period but we are showing real intensity, it allows to go up a notch,” Davids added.
He and the Titans will return to Willowmoore Park on Friday night to face the Hollywoodbets Dolphins, who lost at home to the bizhub Highveld Lions in midweek.
“The Dolphins will be formidable. Having lost a game, they will want to come back and win. There are no easy games in this competition, everyone is looking to win, so it will be another big challenge for us.”
Multiply Titans team to face the Hollwyoodbets Dolphins (from): Farhaan Behardien (c), Matthew Arnold, Junior Dala, Theunis de Bruyn, Tony de Zorzi, Henry Davids, Donovan Ferreira, Eldred Hawken, Rubin Hermann, Gregory Mahlokwana, Tshepo Moreki, Diego Rosier, Grant Thomson, Shaun von Berg
