The 2022/23 Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 Challenge will see the Momentum Multiply Titans and Hollywoodbets Dolphins battling it out for top honours on Saturday, 05 November 2022.
Titans have qualified for a successive CSA T20 Challenge final after a 38-run win in their semi-final against the ITEC Knights at the JB Marks Oval on Wednesday.
After opting to bat first, captain, Sibonelo Makhanya, anchored the Titans’ innings with a 34-ball 45 (four boundaries and one maximum). Theunis de Bruyn (36) and Jiveshen Pillay (33) also played a key role in tallying up a competitive total.
Knights struck early when Migael Pretorius dismissed Dewald Brevis in the fourth over for nine runs.
Jacques Snyman and Mbulelo Budaza were responsible for the dismissals of Pillay and de Bruyn, respectively.
Makhanya was run out by Pretorius whilst the Knights’ Gerald Coetzee claimed the wickets of Donavon Ferreira (8) and Neil Brand (15) as Titans ended their innings on 158/6.
The Knights battled to find stability in their innings, losing wickets regularly. Contributions from Snyman (33), Gihahn Cloete (21), and an unbeaten 19* from Pretorius were not enough as the Knights were restricted to 120/8 at the end of their allotted overs.
Brand was the pick of the bowlers for the Titans, recording 3/24 in four overs.
Hollywoodbets Dolphins were put to the bat first by the Gbets Rocks in the second semi-final and the Durban-based side was restricted to 146 all out with two balls remaining in their innings.
Bamanye Xenxe and Shaun von Berg spearheaded the attack, taking crucial wickets. Xenxe’s four-wicket haul registered the dismissals of Keegan Petersen (25), Jon Jon Smuts for six, Eathan Bosch with seven, and Prenelan Subrayen with 22 runs.
Von Berg claimed three wickets to dismiss Grant Roelofsen (26), Tshepang Dithole for four and Andile Simelane for none.
But, a clinical Dolphins’ bowling unit restricted the Rocks to 126/8 in 20 overs.
Skipper, Subrayen, returned three scalps, seeing off Janneman Malan (37), Michael Copeland for none and Ferisco Adams with three runs.
Smuts clean bowled Clyde Fortuin for seven and trapped Christiaan Jonker lbw with five runs to record 2/17 in four overs.
Hardus Viljoen (22), was caught by Bosch off Ottniel Baartman and Farhaan Behardien was unbeaten in 31 runs as Rocks fell 20 runs short of the target.