Centurion - The Cobras earned themselves a home final against the Warriors and a place in the lucrative Champions League T20 after sneaking home to win the second leg of their Standard Bank Pro20 semifinal against the Titans at SuperSport Park on Wednesday night.
After winning the first leg by a convincing eight wickets, the Cobras sneaked home with two balls to spare in the second game, beating the Titans by five wickets to qualify for the Champions League in India later this year.
They face the Warriors in the domestic final in Centurion on March 18.
Needing 12 runs off the last over, the Cobras kept their cool and captain Justin Kemp saw his team home with a massive six off Pierre Joubert.
In the longest over of the match, Andre Nel was removed from the attack after bowling two full tosses in one over, both aimed at the batsman's head, and Joubert, who was called upon to finish the over, promptly bowled a no-ball.
After the game, the crowd booed the hosts who had seemingly been in control following superb batting displays by Farhaan Behardien and Albie Morkel.
Winning the toss and putting the Titans in to bat, the Cobras could not have wished for a better start.
Opening the attack, Johann Louw had Henry Davids caught behind by Dane Vilas off the first ball of the match.
Louw, who took 2/50, was unlucky not to pick up a second wicket in his first over when Roelof van der Merwe, playing his 50th Pro20 match, got an edge but was dropped by Owais Shah at second slip.
Shah managed to get his fingertips to the high ball but it raced for four and he had to leave the field for treatment after hurting his fingers in the attempt.
At the end of the second over, Van der Merwe was caught at deep square leg by Richard Levi as Charl Langeveldt bagged his first wicket and the Titans found themselves at 9/2.
The Cobras' celebrations, however, were short-lived with Behardien joining Jacques Rudolph at the crease and taking the bowling apart.
Behardien scored his first Pro20 half-century off 22 balls, smashing six fours and two sixes in the process, as Rudolph was happy to let him have the strike.
Behardien (69) was eventually caught off Justin Ontong after the pair had put on 98 off 60 balls for the third-wicket partnership.
The big-hitting Morkel continued where Behardien left off and blasted his way to the fastest 50 of the season, needing only 19
balls, to equal Martin van Jaarsveld's record for the competition.
The Titans reached the 150 mark just before Rudolph (40) skied a shot which Claude Henderson waited for before taking a sitter.
Morkel was unbeaten on 71 off 27 balls, including six fours and six sixes, and was well supported at the end by David Wiese (30 not out off 10) in a fifth-wicket stand of 72 off 25 deliveries.
Morkel also led the Titans attack with a return of 2/31, including the wicket of Shah, the Master Blaster Batsman of the match.
Shah, who made 64 off 34 balls including four fours and four sixes, was caught off the last ball of the 19th over as the Cobras were closing in on the win.
Morkel's other wicket was that of Dane Vilas (53), who secured his third half-century of the competition before he was caught by Ethy Mbhalati.
Richard Levi also bagged a half-century for the Cobras, facing 31 balls for his 60 runs in an innings that included five fours and four sixes.
In total the match saw a monstrous 25 sixes to the delight of the 5 000 spectators. - Sapa