Titans vs Knights, CSA T20 2022-23, Today Match Prediction 02 November 2022

tit vs kng Match Prediction & Analysis

The Titans are in great form and look to be on their way to their 7th title. The only loss they suffered this season came against the Rocks which saw the worst batting performance from the Titans this year. 

Knights will remember their last encounter against Titans where they ended up conceding 271 runs bowling first. The positive for Knight from that loss was their batting effort. 

The Knights have a deep batting lineup with many batters who can be expected to step up and deliver an impactful inning. They cannot be counted out just because Brewis took the Knights’ bowlers to the cleaners. 

Prior to the clash against the Knights, the Titans had struggled in their batting department in back-to-back matches. There are some vulnerabilities in the Titans’ lineup and if the Knights can play their cards right this time around, they have a good chance of settling scores with the 6-time champions. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Titans Preview

Dewald Brewis crushed the opposition with his 162 off 57 deliveries as the Titans finished with 271 for 3 against the Knights. This inning will have boosted the team’s morale which was in a bad place after struggling to chase low totals in back-to-back matches.

Dewald’s opening partner Jiveshan Pillay found his rhythm in the last game as he scored a fifty. However, this half-century came at a rather slow pace and he should be aiming for a better performance at the top.

He can’t really be criticized for his slow pace though. His partner was going at over 200 strike rate and as such, there’s not much he could have done. Whether he goes slow or fast, Pillay needs to stay around and build partnerships with the number 3 or 4 batters.

Titans made a big change to their middle order after the poor performances against the Rocks and Warriors. Donavon Ferreira came into the side as a wicket-keeper batsman and was promoted to number 3. 

D Galiem and Theunis de Bruyn fit right there at 4 and 5. Bruyn can score quickly and can be expected to be the finisher for his team. There is great variety in the bowling attack. Junior Dala, Simon Harmer, and Neil Brand will be the key bowlers to watch out for in the Titans' squad.

Titans Predicted Playing XI:

Dewald Brevis, Jiveshan Pillay, Theunis de Bruyn, Sibonelo Makhanya (c), Neil Brand, Donavon Ferreira (wk), Dayyaan Galiem, Ayabulela Gqamane, Simon Harmer, Junior Dala, Aaron Phangiso

Titans Actual Playing XI:

Ayabulela Gqamane, Junior Dala, Simon Harmer, Jiveshan Pillay , Aaron Phangiso, Dewald Brevis, Theunis de Bruyn, Donavon Ferreira, Neil Brand, Dayyaan Galiem, Sibonelo Makhanya

Knights Preview

Knight lost to Titans by 41 runs but they put on a great fight. A 230-runs total is quite impressive though short of the 272 runs target. It showed the depth in the Knights’ batting lineup and the big-hitting abilities of their players.

Nevertheless, the team couldn’t continue this form and failed big time in the very next game. Knights were bowled out for just 132 runs while chasing a 155-runs target against the North West.

There are some big names in the lower middle order of the Knights lineup such as Pite van Biljon, Gerald Coetzee, and Migael Pretorius. They’ve got the ability to hit the long ball and can be the match-finisher for the Knights.

Coetzee scored a quickfire 37 off 11 balls at number 7 against Titans while Migael’s score in his last two innings were 36 off 15 and 29 off 15 balls. In the top order, the most reliable batsman is the opener Jacques Snyman. The rest of the top and the middle order hasn’t been in the best form. 

Unless Tonder, Patrick Kruger, and skipper Swanepoel find their form and start scoring runs in the middle, the burden of scoring would continue to rest on the shoulders of the lower order. And that won’t get the side to a competitive total or help them chase down a competitive target.

Knights Predicted Playing XI:

Wesley Marshall, Grant Mokoena, Heino Kuhn (c), Khanya Cotani (wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Delano Potgieter, Duan Jansen, Hardus Coetzer, Renaldo Meyer, Caleb Seleka, Lwandiswa Zuma

Knights Actual Playing XI:

Jacques Snyman, Isaac Dikgale, Gerald Coetzee, Raynard van Tonder, Mbulelo Budaza, Migael Pretorius, Gihahn Cloete, Aubrey Swanepoel, Alfred Mothoa, Pite van Biljon, Patrick Kruger

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

A well-balanced pitch is on offer at Senwes Park with opportunities for both batters and bowlers. The weather is expected to be cloudy with a high of 16 degrees Celsius. The new-ball bowlers can expect some movement through the air in the powerplay.

Venue Details

The Senwes Park in Potchefstroom is the venue for all of the CSA T20 Challenge matches. The average 1st inning score here in the domestic T20s is 156. Teams have struggled to chase a total below 160 in recent games. We reckon any total above 170 would be a match-winning score in the semi-final.

Toss: To Bat

Teams batting first have won the last four matches at this venue and a total of 13 games this season. It will be a pressure game and chasing won’t be easy. Neither of these teams has a good record chasing a total and will be keen on batting first and having runs on the board.