Titans thank their lucky stars
BEHARDIEN: THEY RAISED THEIR GAME, CREDIT TO THEM
Champions hang on for draw with just two wickets left.
“You have to give credit to the Dolphins for raising their game, but you would think they would be slightly the more disappointed side in the changeroom after the draw,” Titans captain Farhaan Behardien said after the opening fixture of the Four-Day Franchise Series ended in a stalemate at the weekend.
Set a significant final-day target of 277, the Titans closed on 244/8. At 124/1, they looked on course for victory, but the Dolphins fought back in the final session and in the end the defending champions chose discretion on a pitch that was becoming more and more inconsistent as the day wore on.
“We were looking to win, but it was a see-saw game throughout – we fought back and then they would fight back.
“We were definitely below our best, we only played at about 60%, and they definitely raised their game, so credit to them.
“It was definitely tough batting on the last day because the Dolphins attack were very disciplined and Keshav Maharaj’s control, as befits our number one Test spinner, allowed them to rotate their seamers.
“There were periods in the game when we conceded too many runs or extras, we dropped Vaughn van Jaarsveld, and there were only 33 runs in the game at the end. But credit to them and Calvin Savage, who played a massive role for them.
“I was very proud for the massive fight our batsmen showed at the back end of the match, Henry Davids faced 142 balls, Chris Morris 90 balls, Shaun von Berg 77 and even Eldred Hawken hung around for more than half-anhour,” Behardien said.
While the Titans/Dolphins match certainly met the expectations of tough, hard-fought cricket in the premier franchise competition, the attention will now shift on to the other four teams, who will be swinging into action today.
The Warriors will be looking to build on last season’s runners-up finish when they host the Highveld Lions, wooden-spoonists last season but with a new coach now in Enoch Nkwe, at St George’s Park, while the Cape Cobras and Knights are both full of optimism as they come up against each other at Newlands.