Gulam Bodi hit a career-best 88 not out as the Nashua Titans saw off a brave Herschelle Gibbs counter-attack to run out victors by 17 runs (D/L method) over the Cape Cobras in their rain-affected Standard Bank Pro20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday.

Full Scoring

Bodi put on 70 for the first wicket with Blake Snijman and 66 for the second with Faf du Plessis (18 not out) either side of a torrential Highveld thunderstorm that resulted in the match being reduced to 12 overs a side.

The Cobras briefly threatened to chase down the score, especially with Herschelle Gibbs in full cry, but when the former Proteas batsman was out for 48 to a stunning catch by Albie Morkel, one sensed the odds shorten on a home-team victory.

And so it proved, as the disciplined Titans bowlers managed to grab wickets at regular intervals to leave the Cobras on 122 for six in the final analysis.

The men from Cape Town will however be kicking themselves after allowing Bodi to be dropped twice in his innings, but the left-hander rode his luck during a brutal innings in which opening bowler Charl Langeveldt in particular was dispatched to all corners of one of the country’s smaller grounds.

For the Cobras, only Robin Peterson was successful with the ball, when he trapped Snijman leg-before for 27.

Apart from Peterson, the Cobras’ bowling figures made for ugly reading, with Langeveldt going for 45 off his three overs and Vernon Philander 24 off two.

The Cobras had a bad start to their run chase when Andrew Puttick was out caught and bowled by Basheer Walters with the score on 10.

After that, they lost wickets at regular intervals, with only Gibbs and Justin Kemp (20 not out) providing any resistance as the match slowly but inexorably drifted the Titans’ way.

For the home side, Basheer Walters finished with two for 30, with Morkel taking two for 22. Pierre Joubert and Roelof van der Merwe grabbed a wicket apiece, with Joubert winning the Master Blaster bowling award for his economical spell as well as the all-important wicket of Gibbs.

Teams:

Titans team: Gulam Bodi, Blake Snijman, Jacques Rudolph, Faf du Plessis, Albie Morkel, Heino Kuhn (wk), Farhaan Behardien, Roelof van der Merwe, Pierre Joubert (capt.), Basheeru-Deen Walters, Ethy Mbhalati.

Cobras squad:Andrew Puttick, Henry Davids, Herschelle Gibbs, Robin Peterson, Justin Ontong, Richard Levi, Justin Kemp (capt.), Rory Kleinveldt, Vernon Philander, Stiaan van Zyl, Charl Langeveldt, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Francois Plaatjies.