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Titans snatch ticket to final
20/04/2008 18:20 - (SA)
Cape Town - The Titans snatched a thrilling six-run victory over the Cobras in their Pro20 semi-final played at Newlands on Sunday.
The Titans have booked their place to play the Dolphins in the final in Durban, on Friday, to decide the destiny of this season's Pro20 championship trophy.
The Cobras required 16 runs for victory in the final over and when Henry Davids struck Roelof van der Merwe for a six off the first ball, the Titans seemed doomed.
However, Van der Merwe had the last laugh when he captured two wickets with the last two balls of the over to clinch victory for the Pretoria side.
Earlier, Gulam Bodi and Francois du Plessis provided the Titans innings with a solid start, adding 73 sparkling runs, including five sixes, for the first wicket, at a rate of just over nine runs to the over.
Spinner Con de Lange made the eventual breakthrough in the ninth over when Bodi (29 off 21 balls) holed out to Herschelle Gibbs on the cover boundary.
His partner Du Plessis (44 off 34 balls) did not last much longer, courtesy of a brilliant throw-in from JP Duminy from the extra-cover boundary.
Tried hard to force the pace
Cobras wicketkeeper Ryan Canning gathered Duminy's throw and whipped off the bails, and after viewing the attempt a few times the third umpire Karl Hurter ruled "out", with the Titans' total on 85, in the 11th over.
AB de Villiers and Albie Morkel tried hard to force the pace of the Titans innings until their third wicket partnership was broken with the introduction of part-time spinner Duminy.
His third ball captured the wicket of the dangerous Albie Morkel who was rather subdued for his 12 runs, off as many balls.
The Titans suffered two more setbacks in quick time as their total stuttered from 113-3 to 121-5.
Vernon Philander and Duminy each chipped in with a wicket to dismiss Van der Merwe (1) and de Villiers (28 off 26 balls) respectively.
In his third over Duminy doubled his harvest with wickets off consecutive balls to send Pierre Joubert (5) and Morne Morkel (0) packing, as the Titans stalled on 142 in the 19th over.
Former Cape Town cricketer Farhaan Behardien (32 not out, off 18 balls) struck some lusty blows at the death to help the Titans post a highly credible 158-7 by the time the visitors' innings ended.
Andrew Puttick and Graeme Smith saw off the Titans' new ball attack of Dale Steyn and Ethy Mbhalati without any problems while at the same time providing a brisk start to the Cobras' reply.
First-change bowler Morne Morkel ended their first-wicket partnership in the eighth over when he induced Puttick (25 off 21 balls) to edge one behind, with the Cobras' total on 54.
Struck six fours
In the ninth over Titans fielder Van der Merwe stunned the Cobras with a brilliant direct hit to end a threatening innings by the in-form Smith, who had struck six fours in his 34-run knock, off 26 balls.
There was more fielding magic in the next over when Joubert recovered almost instantly after spilling a catch offered by Duminy to run out Gibbs (6) at the non-striker's end, leaving the Cobras total stuttering on 73-3
This wobble in the Cobras top-order provided the Titans with a lift, and this was clearly evident in their revitalised fielding, which at the start was rather disappointing.
But Gibbs soon returned to the middle, this time to act as a runner for Tyrone Henderson who pulled a hamstring soon after arriving at the crease.
Henderson (8) struck one six before Albie Morkel claimed his wicket after his lofted drive was held by Van der Merwe close to the long-off boundary.
It was left to Duminy and Henry Davids to revive the Cobras victory challenge. They fought gallantly and brought the Cobras within a whisker of victory but their efforts came to an end when both Duminy (52, off 44 balls) and Davids (17 off 11 balls) perished in the final over.
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Rugby
