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Titans claim Pro20 title
25/04/2008 21:50 - (SA)
Durban - Three wickets off his first 14 deliveries by Titans fast bowler Ethy Mbhalati effectively put the skids under the Dolphins as they faced the arduous task of scoring 154 runs to become the Pro20 champions for the 2007-2008 season.
In the end it was the men from Centurion who added the title to their ODI championship as they restricted the Dolphins to 135 off 19.1 overs in reply to their 153 for six. They had won the toss and elected bat before a sell-out crowd at Kingsmead.
Victory by 18 runs gave them the title of masters of the Limited Overs game in South African cricket.
Mbhalati first removed Imran Khan (3) with his first ball as the Dolphins opener lofted a catch to Farhaan Behardien. He then got the much-prized scalp of Hashim Amla (4) with his fourth delivery as AB De Villiers, donning the gloves for this final, took him at the wicket.
Further trouble for Dolphins
Mbhalati was not yet finished. Ten balls later he had his third scalp when Dolphins skipper Ahmed Amla (1) went the same route as his illustrious brother and at 36 for three it was almost game, set and match as far as the Titans victory hunt was concerned.
The Dolphins got themselves into further trouble when Jon Kent (8) was run out. Batting hero of the hour Grant Rowley, with 27 off 20 balls including three fours and two sixes, was skittled by the pace of Morne Morkel in the latter's second over.
Then came a brave fight back by the Dolphins spearheaded by Daryn Smit (36) who was brilliantly caught by Gulam Bodi on the square leg fence after he had added 60 with Pierre de Bruyn for the sixth wicket. That was in the 16th over with 45 runs still required.
That was the end of a great fight by the underdogs who found the strengthened Titans bolstered by the return of AB de Villiers, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn from the recent India tour.
At one stage it did not appear likely that the Titans would post a decent total especially as they laboured to 16 for one off their first five overs against the pace of lefthander Yusuf Abdullah who finished with the outstanding return of one for eight off his four overs.
Albie Morkel scored 33 not out
De Villiers, fresh from his Protea exploits for South Africa in India, forced the Dolphins fielders into a couple of errors as he had added 60 off 37 balls in an explosive third wicket stand with Gulam Bodi, who had weathered the early storm in his opener's role.
Bodi went for 45 when he was eventually leg before to Morne van Vuuren off 54 balls and a six while De Villiers departed for 46 off just 24 balls with seven fours and a six.
Big hitting Albie Morkel weighed in with 33 not out, including 16 runs off three deliveries from Van Vuuren. That turned out to be the deciding factor along with Mbhalati's great up-front bowling.
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