A record 218-run opening partnership between AB de Villiers and Gulam Bodi saw the Titans cruise to a convincing 10-wicket victory over the Dolphins in their Standard Bank Cup semifinal cricket match at Supersport Park in Centurion on Sunday.
The Dolphins, put into bat by Titans skipper Martin van Jaarsveld, scored 212 for five wickets in their 45 overs. In reply, the home team scored 218 without loss in just 25,3 overs.
The Titans opening pair eclipsed their franchise record of 143 set by De Villiers and Jacques Rudolph last season in Bloemfontein against the Free State Eagles.
De Villiers, the more aggressive of the two, tore into the heart of the Dolphins’ bowling attack, showing scant regard for the visitors.
So brutal and unrelenting was De Villiers with bat in hand that he briskly reached his sixth limited-overs 50 in just 66 balls.
De Villiers, who stepped off the plane from Australia on Saturday after not being considered for the South African one-day side, was aided by Bodi.
Bodi patiently worked off the already jaded and disheartened Dolphins bowlers and in a polished manner reached 52, his 11th limited-overs 50, in 49 balls.
And after both reached their half-centuries and the game was almost in the bag, De Villiers and Bodi wielded their willows with little discretion. But it was Bodi who showed his deadly side as the game wore on and finished the day with two sixes to reach his third limited-overs century (104 runs off 71 balls, 11 fours and six sixes), leaving De Villiers stranded on 97 runs off 83 balls.
Suffering most from the butchery was Imraan Khan, who went for 26 runs in his two overs, and Hashim Amla, who was pelted for 24 runs in nine balls.
The result of this encounter was never really in doubt, as the Dolphins did not put up much of a fight in posting a reachable 212-run target.
The Dolphins were restricted by some feisty bowling from Brandon Reddy and Dale Steyn.
The visitors never got really going as they lost wickets at regular intervals, which further compounded any reasonable score being posted.
Ahmed Amla was the only Dolphins batsman to make a meaningful contribution as he hit a well-constructed 53 runs before succumbing to Ethy Mbhalati.
Amla had survived twice early in his innings as he was dropped by Mbhalati on 13 and then by Albie Morkel on 15.
Dale Benkenstein (31 off 27) and Duncan Brown (26 off 22) tried to rescue the Dolphins’ sinking ship, but could only see their team past the 200-run mark and ran out of overs in their valiant effort.
The demise of Klusener for a duck, clean-bowled by Mbhalati, was another major factor in the Dolphins recording such a low score.
In the end, the Titans justifiably won the match, setting a grudge final against the Free State Eagles on Friday in Centurion.
The Titans lost last season’s final at the hands of the Eagles in Bloemfontein after looking like a championship side throughout the competition.
This time around, on Friday the 13th and at home, the Titans will certainly fancy their chances. — Sapa