Young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter put the Titans on the ropes before Rassie van der Dussen applied the knock-out punch to steer the Lions into the final of the CSA T20 Challenge.
The Lions beat their Gauteng rivals by eight wickets on the DLS method after the match was reduced to 18 overs following floodlit failure in the seventh over of the Titans’ innings.
The round-robin matches between the teams ended with two final-ball thrillers, with each team winning their home game by the barest of margins. However, this semi-final was very much a one-sided affair.
The Titans got two extra runs to their total following the DLS calculations, going from 131/9 to 133.
At the time of the floodlight failure, the Titans were on 40/1, and looking rather comfortable with plenty of batting to come. However, the sensational Peter would dim their lights in the innings with a top performance.
Peter ended with figures of 4/18 in his four overs, while seamer Codi Yusuf also contributed 2/25 to put the Lions in the pound seats at the dinner break.
Rookie Jack Lees was the only Titans batsman to show some fight and urgency, knocking a Titans career best unbeaten 64 off 43 balls (10x4, 1x6). Rivaldo Moonsamy (24 off 27) was the only other Titans batsman to get into double figures.
Van der Dussen and opener Ryan Rickelton have had a summer to remember batting together. They scored bucket loads of runs during the SA20 League for the MI Cape Town, and broke of the back of the chase after the Lions lost Reeza Hendricks (2) early on.
The Lions pair added 85 runs in 8.4 overs, with Rickelton scoring 38 before holding out in the deep.
Van der Dussen, who added intensity to the chase with his running between the wickets and big-hitting intent, went to his half-century before finishing not out on 73 off 45 balls (8x4, 1x6). Temba Bavuma, who hit the winnings runs, also finished not out on 19 from 13 balls.
The Lions will now face the winner of Thursday’s semi-final between the Dolphins and the Warriors at Kingsmead in Durban.
@JohnGoliath82