Warriors pull off dramatic last-ditch win against Titans

WARRIORS captain Jon-Jon Smuts took two wickets off the final two deliveries of the game to lead the Warriors to a dramatic 77-run victory over the Multiply Titans in their Sunfoil Series fixture at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday.

The Titans had just about survived the final session thanks to a splendid and defiant hundred from allrounder Chris Morris.

In fact, it went down to the last over of the game with the Titans on 248 for eight after being set 326 for victory.

Morris defended the first four balls from Smuts but was then trapped leg before wicket by the Warriors skipper on the penultimate ball of the day.

In came Tabraiz Shamsi to see out the final delivery but it was not to be as he too was out LBW to Smuts to spark wild celebrations from the home team.

It was the most dramatic of ends to a fascinating game but the Titans will be deflated having almost pulled off an unlikely draw.

The visitors went into the last session of the day in a desperate situation on 135 for seven and still 191 runs short of their target.

The Warriors had 48 overs remaining to claim the last three wickets. The Titans fought until the bitter end with Morris at the forefront with his 113, backed up by No 9 batsman Malusi Siboto, who scored 43.

But Tladi Bokako took four for 43 and Smuts and Simon Harmer picked up three wickets each to lead their team to their second win of the competition and to the top of the table with two matches to play.

Earlier, Ackermann made a superb, undefeated 125 as the Warriors declared their second innings on 256 for five, about an hour before lunch.

At the Maritzburg Oval, Zubayr Hamza scored his eighth first-class century as the WSB Cobras beat the Hollywoodbets Dolphins by eight wickets yesterday.

He was cautious through most of his innings of 109 not out but when his team could sniff victory, he set about attacking the Dolphins bowlers.

The Cobras were set 227 for victory off a minimum of 91 overs to win on the last day.

But they only needed 65.1 overs as they sped home before tea thanks to a punishing, unbeaten partnership of 149 runs between Hamza and Stiaan van Zyl, who scored a blistering 66 with nine fours and a six. Hamza hit 19 fours.

In Kimberley, rain had the final say as the Bizhub Highveld Lions and the VKB Knights drew their match at the Diamond Oval yesterday.

The Lions were fighting hard to stave off defeat and were placed on 194 for three going into the final session of the game after tea.

At that stage they were still 89 runs adrift of making the Knights, who had declared overnight on 500 for eight, go in to bat again.