The Titans won through to a home final in the Standard Bank Pro20 cricket competition when they snatched a thrilling victory over the Lions at Supersport Park in Centurion on Wednesday. They beat the Lions by four wickets with one ball to spare in front of a capacity crowd of 11 000 in the first semifinal.
Sent in to bat, the Lions scored a challenging total of 150, with Adam Bacher the main contributor. He scored 65, including four fours and three sixes. Ashraf Mall made 28 and Neil McKenzie made 24.
Ethy Mbhalati was the most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 22 runs. Justin Kemp was the most expensive, conceding 46 runs off his four overs.
The Titans got off to an excellent start, scoring 10 runs off the first over bowled by David Terbrugge, but they made life difficult for themselves with three run-outs.
Gulam Bodi made 13 off as many balls before he was caught by Terbrugge off Friedel de Wet. Alviro Petersen was next to go, bowled by De Wet for 24, which included a four and a six.
Everyone’s hero, Justin Kemp, hit a quickfire 32 off 16 balls, including a four and three lofty sixes, before he was caught and bowled by De Wet.
Kemp hit 16 runs off the first three balls of the over before succumbing to a slower delivery from De Wet.
Captain Daryll Cullinan was run out without scoring when he ran after being sent back by Zander de Bruyn. Neil McKenzie threw the ball to Ahmed Omar, who whipped off the bails. A dreadful misunderstanding between Gerald Dros and De Bruyn saw them both at one end, and Marthinus Otto was able to run across to the other end and run out De Bruyn for 16.
Dros was run out by Justin Ontong and Omar for eight, just two overs later.
By this stage, the Titans needed another 48 runs off 29 balls, and the scattering of Lions fans in the crowd began to get excited at the prospect of victory.
But man of the match Pierre de Bruyn and Kruger van Wyk saw the Titans safely home. They scored 12 runs off the 19th over, and needed 10 runs off the last over.
De Bruyn scored two off the first ball, and then had the crowd on its feet with a massive six over cow corner. He scored a single off the next, and there were anxious moments for the fans when Van Wyk was unable to score off the next ball.
However, with two balls left and the scores tied, Van Wyk scrambled a single and the Titans had won in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
The final, against the winner of the semifinal between the Eagles and the Warriors, will be played next Wednesday afternoon at Supersport Park. — Sapa