Warriors Denied as Titans Secure Successive Titles

16 Dec 2016 | Cricket
Titans claimed a second successive T20 title and denied Warriors a first trophy in seven seasons by defending 156, despite losing their captain Albie Morkel to a hamstring injury in their first over in the field.

The Titans restricted the Warriors to 149 for six to become the first team to win back-to-back T20 Challenge titles by six runs at Centurion earlier.

This was in reply to the Titans' 155 for six, after they were sent into bat by Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts.

Colin Ingram who completed his overs (4-0-24-1) got the wicket of Klaasen, who struck two boundaries and a six, launching Ingram towards the long-on boundary where Colin Ackermann snatched the ball out of the air before flicking it to Qaasim Adams who was in support, before going over the rope.

Titans Captain Albie Morkel (21) and Heino Kuhn (17) were brilliantly run out by Lesiba Ngoepe (with support from Ingram) and Walters respectively to leave the Titans on 126 for six at the start of the 18th over but David Wiese (24 not out), batsman of the match, and Malusi Siboto (4 not out) added 29 unbeaten runs for the seventh wicket off 18 balls to get the home side over the 150-run mark, which included taking 19 runs off the final over bowled by Sisanda Magala (4-0-40-0).

In response, the Warriors started badly, losing Clyde Fortuin (0) and Smuts (16) with the total on 16 after just 2.2 overs, this despite the Titans losing Morkel five balls into the chase.

Ackermann and Ingram (12) steadied the ship somewhat with a stand worth 27 off 22 balls before Ingram edged Ngidi, who was named bowler of the match, to Klaasen behind the stumps.

Ackermann then found a solid partner in Christiaan Jonker as the pair looked set to drive the Warriors close to the finishing line but then madness ensued.

First Ackermann tried to sweep Shamsi, only to lob the ball to Siboto at short fine leg, who then dropped the catch. The very next ball Jonker went for an aggressive sweep and hit the ball from Shamsi straight to Dala on the square-leg boundary to depart for 33 off 25 balls with three fours and a six.

Qaasim Adams (17) struggled to move the ball around despite adding 34 off 29 with Ackermann but then was trapped in front with Shamsi's final ball to end any hope of the Warriors crossing the line.

The final nail was knocked into the coffin when Ackermann, just two balls later, launched a rank long-hop from Ngidi straight down the throat of Dala on the cover boundary fence.