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Standard Bank Pro20 2007-08

Titans overcome Lions to enter semis

Ken Borland and Telford Vice

April 14, 2008

Titans 112 for 8 (Bodi 28, Kruger 4-10) beat Lions 81 (Tahir 3-13) by 31 runs
Scorecard
The Titans, after posting a mediocre 112 for 8, shot out the Lions for 81 to claim victory in their low-scoring Standard Bank Pro20 encounter in Centurion.The win gives the Titans, who were staring at elimination after three successive defeats, a place in the semi-finals.

Superb new-ball bowling by Andre Nel (2 for 13) and Ethy Mbhalati (2 for 16) saw the Lions' top order come undone as they crashed to 27 for 4. There could not have been a better time for leg-spinner Imran Tahir to be introduced, on hisPro20 debut, and he quickly ran through the middle order with 3 for 13. The Lions' innings lurched to 51 for 8, before Cliffie Deacon and Friedel de Wet hit out with some meaning in a doomed attempt to save the visitors from their lowest ever total in the competition.

The Lions' dismal batting robbed Garnett Kruger of the glory after he had set things up with his spiteful new-ball bowling. Kruger came hard at the Titans batsmen from the outset, taking three wickets in his first two overs to leave the home side in tatters.

But opener Gulam Bodi, who scored a patient 28, and captain Pierre Joubert, who took responsibility for the tail with his 22 not out, ensured that there was a score to defend. Kruger's inspired bowling saw him take 4 for 10, while left-armer Deacon was a scrooge at the other end, finishing with 1 for 9.

Eagles 145 for 5 (du Preez 40*) beat Warriors 132 for 8 (Jeggels 43, Coetzee 3-15) by 13 runs
Scorecard
Dillon du Preez's late-order batting display, followed by a three-wicket haul from seamer Jandre Coetzee, earned the Eagles third place in the Standard Bank Pro20 series after their 13-run win over the Warriors in Port Elizabeth.

du Preez came in at No. 7 in the 16th over and blasted a career-best 40 not out which featured two fours and four sixes. His knock took the Eagles, who were in shambles at 95 for 5, to a respectable 145 for 5. Roger Telemachus, who was unbeaten on 15, gave du Preez support in an unbroken 50-run stand that was brought up in 27 balls.

The Warriors were rocked early in their chase, falling to 28 for 2 after a Coetzee double-strike. Riaan Jeggels tried to stabilise their innings with 43 off 39, but with wickets falling in regular intervals, the Warriors never reached boiling point, and they eventually dwindled to 132 for 8.

The Eagles went into the match assured of a semi-final berth, but they needed a win to secure third-place.

© Cricinfo