Rain sees Dolphins through to T20 final

THE Dolphins squelched into the T20 final without so much as removing their raincoats at Kingsmead yesterday.

Intermittent drizzle condemned their semifinal against the Cobras to a washout, which means the KwaZulu-Natalians are in the decider by dint of finishing second on the log.

Yesterday’s non-event marked the fifth time in the six T20s scheduled in Durban this season that the weather has prevented a result being reached, four times without a ball being bowled.

But this time, the home side were not complaining – not with a shot at glory awaiting them in Centurion tomorrow, when they play the Titans in the final.

The Cobras will be less than pleased, having spent much of the week in a petulant funk about the Titans fielding a weakened XI against the Dolphins on Sunday.

In the only T20 at Kingsmead this summer in which a result was reached, the Dolphins prevailed by 89 runs to record their biggest win in the competition’s history.

That earned the Dolphins a bonus point, which put them ahead of the Cobras by a solitary point and meant the semifinal would not be played at Newlands in Cape Town – which basked in perfect summer weather yesterday.

Not that the Titans needed to do anything except turn up on Sunday, not with a home semi already booked and paid for by winning five of their first six games, with the other washed out.

But the Cobras had much to do with their damp and dreary exit from the competition.

Had they not lost to the Warriors in East London on Sunday, they would have hosted a semifinal.

The Titans bounced back from Sunday’s loss by hammering the Warriors by eight wickets with 28 balls remaining in that semi at Centurion on Wednesday.

Albie Morkel’s team are firm favourites to take possession of a trophy that has had their name on it for much of the competition.

But romantics will hope hard that the Dolphins, who won only two of their five away games and had another – of course – washed out, make the most of their opportunity.

They will have to do it the hard way against the tournament’s dominant team – tomorrow’s weather forecast for Centurion is hot and dry.