Titans loose twice but ends at the top of the One-Day Cup log
Despite back-to-back losses in their last league matches, the Titans ended at the top of the log in the Momentum one-day tournament, securing them a home semi-final and possible home final.
On Wednesday 27 March the Titans will play against the Cape Cobras in the first semi-final of the Momentum One-Day Cup, after they managed to end at the top of the competitions’ log despite the fact that they lost both their final games in the league stage last week.
On Thursday last week Mark Boucher’s men lost by seven runs against the Highveld Lions in Benoni during their penultimate league obligation.
The Highveld Lions were desperate at that time, as a victory kept their hopes alive to also qualify for the semi-finals. Unfortunately for the men from Johannesburg they were unable to qualify, after rain washed out their final league encounter against the Dolphins at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, a spectacular career-best 183 off 142 balls by Theunis de Bruyn was not enough for the Titans in their last game against the Knights, after the Bloemfontein team produced a spirited chase to end their Momentum One-Day Cup campaign on a positive note with a five-wicket DLS victory via the Duckworth&Lewis method in Bloemfontein.
Despite the result, the Central Franchise bowed out of the competition after they could only end fifth, but they will take plenty of heart heading into the final 20-over leg of the season.
De Bruyn sizzled 20 fours and four sixes in his innings to help the runaway log winners amass 323 for seven after winning the toss and batting.
But chasing a revised 282 in 40 overs, Rudi Second crunched 55 off only 25 balls in a knock that included five sixes and two fours.
Support also came via Andries Gous (60 not out off 41 balls), Ryan McLaren (55 not out off 59 balls) and Raynard van Tonder (60 off 63 balls) as the hosts won with six balls remaining.
Boucher’s men still finished top of the charts and will host the Cape Cobras in the first of two semi-finals this week. The other will be on Thursday between the Dolphins and Warriors in Durban.
The Titans have fielded an understrength team since qualifying two weeks ago. However, Boucher will definitely use all his available star players to bring this trophy home. It was the one domestic title which they could not win last season when they were eliminated surprisingly by the Warriors in the semi-finals.
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