Titans lost twice but finish comfortably at the top of Ram Slam log
The Titans will on Wednesday in Centurion play against the Warriors in the first semi-final of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge.
Despite defeats in their last two league games, the Titans managed to finish at the top of the log in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge, eleven points ahead of their nearest rival.
After the Cape Cobras beat Albie Morkel’s men by three wickets on Friday night, they got a decent hiding from the Dolphins in Durban on Sunday.
The Dolphins won the match with 89 runs after the Titans was able to record 100 runs in 20 overs.
In mitigation of the Titans it should be mentioned that Mark Boucher rested all his star players for the game in Durban. Boucher has given an opportunity to players in his squad who so far this season had to be spectators due to the fact that all the Proteas players also participate in the series. However, few of these players took the opportunity given to them.
Seven wickets by the spinners helped the Dolphins claim their biggest-ever Ram Slam T20 Challenge victory and a home semi-final after they demolished the reigning champions at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead.
Proteas pair Imran Tahir (2/20) and Keshav Maharaj (2/18) took two wickets each, while Prenelan Subrayen (2/17) and Khaya Zondo (1/5) chipped in with three more as the hosts shot out a severely weakened visiting side for just 79 in 19.4 overs.
This was in pursuit of a 169 victory-target that was built around Morne van Wyk’s third successive half-century. The veteran opener following scores of 57 and 70 not out with 67 off 41 balls (10 fours) on Sunday.
There were also handy 20s by Vaughn van Jaarsveld (28), Dane Vilas (29) and Khaya Zondo (23) as the home side posted 168 for seven after winning the toss and batting.
The log leaders, who were beaten for the first time in the 2017/18 competition by the Cape Cobras on Friday night, fell to 11 for three in the fifth over and never recovered as the Dolphins completed their biggest ever win in franchise T20 cricket. This bonus point victory helped the men form Durban to leap-frog the Cobras into second place on the table. That means they will host the Cape side in one of the two semi-finals this week.
For the Titans, who only fielded two regulars in Tabraiz Shamsi and Junio Dala, they will now go on to play the Warriors in the other semi on Wednesday in Centurion, with the final scheduled for Saturday, December 16.
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