Centurion – David Wiese hit three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over, to help the Titans to a four wicket victory over the Dolphins in their Ram Slam T20 Challenge match against the at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday.
Chasing a modest 144 for victory, the hosts started well, with the opening pair of Henry Davids and Jacques Rudolph blazing 31
runs off 21 deliveries, but the Dolphins fought back, taking wickets at regular intervals and restricting the Titans to 125 with 12 balls remaining.
Wiese then smashed a six from the third ball of the 19th over, followed by two more, to guide the Titans to a nervy win, which sees them remain in contention for a semifinal berth.
Davids tried one too many big hits and was bowled by Mthokozisi Shezi in the fourth over, having scored a brisk 26 from 14 balls, bringing Van der Merwe to the middle.
He and Rudolph added 22 before the opener skied a Yusuf Abdulla delivery, sending the ball high into the night, but Kyle Abbott managed to pick out the mis-hit and held on to dismiss Rudolph for six.
Abbott was in the thick of the action soon after, as he bowled Mangaliso Mosehle for a first ball duck, from Abbott's first ball of the match.
With the Titans in trouble, Van der Merwe tried an audacious advance down the wicket off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj, but the spinner was beaten by his opposite number, with Smit taking an easy chance behind the wickets, stumping Van der Merwe on 15.
The hosts lost Styris 23 runs later and Albie Morkel for 15, as the run rate kept climbing, leaving them with 19 runs needed from the last two overs, before Wiese worked his magic to steal a late win for the Titans and ending on an unbeaten 27 from just eight deliveries.
Earlier, the Dolphins started positively, with Divan van Wyk and Cameron Delport putting on 20 runs, before Morne Morkel Ä fresh from international duty for the Proteas Ä dismissed Van Wyk in the fifth over.
Cody Chetty was next to the crease, he and Delport combined well for a quick 35, before Roelof van der Merwe trapped Delport in front of the stumps to claim his 100th T20 wicket, sending Delport packing for 20.
With the openers back in the stands, Chetty and former England international Ravi Bopara set a solid foundation, linking up for a well-played 47 run partnership.
The introduction of Scott Styris broke the partnership when Chetty tried to dispatch a loose delivery, but could only find Morne Morkel in the deep, with the lanky bowler holding on to his catch, as Chetty departed six runs short of his half-century.
Van der Merwe continued to trouble the Dolphins' batsmen and was rewarded for his efforts nine runs later, when he bowled Bopara on 25.
The Dolphins struggled for the rest of their innings, with Vaughn van Jaarsveld departing for just two, before David Miller settled in for a solid 25, along with skipper Daryn Smit, as the pair put on 25 between them, to move the visitors into a comfortable position at 143 at the end of their allotted overs. – Sapa