AVAILABLE: Tony de Zorzi Tony de Zorzi helped Western Province to a seven-wicket victory over the Titans. BackpagePix
Image: Backpagepix
WESTERN Province opener, Tony de Zorzi, drove the visiting Province side to a seven-wicket victory over the Titans at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday.
With Province needing 187 runs to win the match with two sessions left on Day three, De Zorzi finished on an unbeaten 78 off 102 deliveries and struck seven fours and two sixes in his innings, guiding Province to a much-needed victory.
Going into the contest, Province sat second from the last place in the relegation standings and were desperate for a victory.
The side was boosted by the availability of their Proteas Test players including captain Kyle Verreynne, De Zorzi, David Bedingham and Dane Paterson for the fixture.
However, the Titans were equally stacked with talent including youngsters Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis available in the playing XI for the hosts.
The two youngsters made a massive impact in the fixture with Pretorius scoring his second career ton in his second First-Class fixture in the first innings while Brevis fell one run shy from what would have been his fourth career century.
However, the two youngsters' efforts were nullified by De Zorzi's 46 (59) and 78* (102), George Linde's 51 (82) in the first innings and David Bedingham's 67 (84) in the second innings.
The victory took Western Province to third place on the standings behind the Titans at second place and the Lions at the top of the Four-Day Series standings.
In other fixtures, the Boland and Lions match in Paarl did not see a ball bowled on Saturday due to inclement weather.
In Gqeberha, Matthew de Villiers' maiden First-Class century put the Warriors in control of the fixture going into the fourth and final day.
The 24-year-old finished unbeaten on 194 (218) while JP King's 64 (132) helped the Warriors secure a 320-run lead with six wickets in hand.
In Durban, the Dolphins need 224 runs to win with opening batters Sarel Erwee (5) and Tshepang Dithole(9) guiding the hosts to stumps unscathed.
Earlier, Byrce Parsons 5/28 put on an outstanding shift with the ball, helping the Dolphins bundle the North West Dragons out for 186 runs in the second innings. Ruan de Swardt (49* off 136) fought a lone fight for the visiting Dragons side.
