Titans crush Dolphins to book CSA T20 Challenge final place

Tabraiz Shamsi of Momentum Multiply Titans celebrates taking a wicket during the first semi-final 2022 CSA T20 Challenge game between Titans and Dolphins at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth on February 25. Picture: Deryck Foster/BackpagePix

Tabraiz Shamsi of Momentum Multiply Titans celebrates taking a wicket during the first semi-final 2022 CSA T20 Challenge game between Titans and Dolphins at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth on February 25. Picture: Deryck Foster/BackpagePix

Published Feb 25, 2022

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Brief scores

Dolphins: 93/8 (Zondo 33, Shamsi 3/15, Gqamane 3/20, Dala 3/21)

Titans: 94/4 (Brevis 38, Mungroo 3/21)

Titans won by six wickets

Cape Town - A combination of some brilliant new-ball bowling, a Tabraiz Shamsi hat-trick and a breezy innings from teenage prodigy Dewald Brevis powered the Titans to the CSA T20 Challenge final on Friday.

The Titans were out of the blocks in a flash and caught the Dolphins napping by reducing Imraan Khan's team to 11/3 in a flash.

Junior Dala did the initial damage by removing both openers Keegan Petersen and Grant Roelofson, before Lizaad Williams claimed the big wicket of Proteas southpaw David Miller.

Khaya Zondo (33) tried to rebuild the Dolphins innings just like he did in the previous game against Western Province, but on this occasion he had no support with Shamsi wrecking havoc in the middle overs.

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The World's No 1 T20 bowler has had a quiet tournament thus far, but its in the big games that he usually stands up and did just that by dismissing Ruhan de Swardt, Bryce Parsons and Andile Phehlukwayo with successive deliveries.

"Our seamers upfront made my job easy. Phangi (Aaron Phangiso) has also been a banker for us in the middle overs," Shamsi said.

"It was my day today, but the final could be somebody else's. We don't rely on anyone individual."

The Dolphins were never in the contest after posting just 93/8 in their allotted 20 overs, and even though Kerwin Mungroo (3/21) raised their hopes briefly with a three-wicket haul, Brevis (38) played an entertaining cameo to ensure the Sky Blues' passage to Sunday's showpiece.

@ZaahierAdams