Warriors thrash Titans to reach final

The Warriors chose the best possible time to snap their fivematch Momentum 1-Day Cup losing streak against the Titans when they ambushed the defending champions at home.

The Titans were always going to be hard-pressed to defend a below-par 230, a target the Warriors made light work of with an eight-wicket triumph.

It was a sweet and welldeserved victory for a side that has been routinely embarrassed by the Titans.

In 2017, they were shown flames to the tune of 236 runs in last season’s final.

The roar from the Warriors dressing room when the winning runs were scored by captain JJ Smuts underlined how much the win meant to them.

The Warriors will wait on the winner between the Dolphins and the Cape Cobras at Newlands on Wednesday to see whether they will be travelling to Durban or Cape Town for Friday’s final.

An explosive 117-run opening partnership off only 105 deliveries between Lesiba Ngoepe (69) and Gihahn Cloete (56) allowed the visitors to coast home with 91 balls to spare.

Ngoepe and Cloete raced to their 50s in 46 and 44 balls, respectively before gifting their wickets to Malusi Siboto and Heinrich Klaasen.

Man-of-the-match Smuts (73*) added a measured 43-ball half-century to ensure a collapse was staved off with a high degree of comfort.

The Titans were heavily indebted to Farhaan Behardien, whose batting skill-set was clearly above this level of cricket.

While his exclusion reasons were made clear by convenor of selectors Linda Zondi last week, AB de Villiers’s finger injury could have and would have opened the path for him in the national team.

His mature and well-paced 67-ball 57 hauled the Titans from a potentially problematic 115/4 after the loss of Klaasen’s wicket to a stable 221/9 after Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts won the toss and fielded first on a slowish surface.

The Titans had slipped to 177/8 and looked in danger of not seeing out their overs. Eventually, they were bowled out two balls short of completing their allotment.