Although they have the least impressive record of the four semifinalists, the Dolphins will be eager to make the most of their opportunity when they take on the Titans in the second semifinal of the MTN40 in Centurion on Sunday.
Imraan Khan’s Dolphins only sneaked into the top four with a win in their final round robin game against the Titans last weekend in Pietermaritzburg and they will look for another match winning performance against the defending champions.
Their records, though, could hardly be more different. The Titans secured their berth in the top four long before the final league matches were played, racking up seven wins in nine matches, and two no results, before their final loss allowed the Dolphins to qualify for the knockout stages.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, won only three of their 10 first round matches and they know they will have to lift their game to match the Titans at home.
The KwaZulu-Natal franchise, however, have little to lose and will take a certain amount of momentum with them into the semifinal.
Proteas batsman Hashim Amla returns to the Dolphins squad to bolster that department, but seamer Yusuf Abdulla is still out with a groin injury.
“Kyle Nipper, the left-arm spinner who was drafted into the team against the Titans [last week], retains his place after an impressive performance while Yusuf Abdulla is still suffering from a groin injury and was not considered for selection. He will be out for about three weeks,” said Jay Naidoo, manager of playing affairs at the KZN Cricket Union.
They’ll be up against one of the most successful franchises in the system, a team who not only won the same competition last year, albeit in a slightly different format, but who are also well accustomed to performing in the pressure situations of knockout matches.
The Titans are sure to have Proteas players AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel to strengthen their side and they will be determined not to throw away the success achieved in the league phase of the competition.
A one-off knockout game does make it something of a lottery, but the Titans have the players to handle the situation and it will take a supreme effort from the Dolphins to knock them off their perch. — Sapa