Behardien stars as Titans edge Warriors
A CRAZY 10-over slog fest decided the top spot as the Titans managed a six-run win over the Warriors at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday.
A long rain delay saw the match shortened to five overs per side.
Batting first, the Titans hammered 80 run, thanks to the in-form Farhaan Behardien scoring the quickest CSA T20 challenge 50 in history, off just 14 deliveries. He ended unbeaten on 55 off 15 balls (4x4, 5x6).
The Warriors replied with 74/2 with cameos from Christiaan Jonker, a nine-ball 26 (4x4, 1x6), Jon-Jon Smuts (21) and Colin Ingram not enough to get them over the line.
The Warriors will now face the Lions at St George’s Park in the playoff tomorrow with a final against the Titans at Centurion awaiting the victors on Friday.
Needing more than 16 runs an over to win, captain Smuts set the tone for the chase hammering opening bowler Lungi Ngidi for a four and a six off the first two balls, while an Ingram six off the fifth ball meant 19 came off it.
A six and a four in the next over saw Smuts move on to 21, but Junior Dala had the last laugh as Smuts skied the fifth ball to Behardien with the Warriors 29/1.
The third over bowled by Albie Morkel saw the Warriors take charge as an Ingram six and a few top edge boundaries from Jonker saw them pass 50 at the end of it.
A very tidy fourth over from David Wiese then pulled the match back in the Titans’ favour as Ingram (19) skied one to Behardien, and with just six runs coming off it, it meant the Warriors needed 23 off the final over to win.
Malusi Siboto held his nerve to concede 15 runs to seal the win.
Warriors strike bowler Andrew Birch bowled the first over and with the Titans looking for quick runs, Birch ran out Jonathan Vandiar (1) off the third ball.
First ball of the second over Kuhn tried to cut Basheer Walters only to deflect the ball straight on to his stumps to be out for five.
Behardien and Heinrich Klaasen (17no) then gave the innings the impetus it needed by hammering Smuts for 24 off the third over, with three sixes smashed over long on and a four carved over extra cover.
The carnage continued in the next over as the Titans 50 was brought up as two fours, a wide and two sixes came off the first four balls of Sisanda Magala’s over, with Berhadien then skying the fifth ball to mid off.
The over ended with 27 having been plundered off it, and Kyle Abbott making his Warriors debut could do nothing to stop the flow of runs as Behardien smashed him for two boundaries before bringing up his half century in style by driving the ball straight back over the bowler’s head for six.