Shamsi shines to set up TitansRocks final

zaahier.adams@inl.co.za

Western Province: 118 all out

(Bird 31, Kaplan 31, Abrahams 4/34)

Rocks: 121/3

(P. Malan 59, J. Malan 39, Mgijima 2/15)

Rocks won by seven wickets

Dolphins: 93/8

(Zondo 33, Shamsi 3/15, Gqamane 3/20, Dala 3/21)

Titans: 94/4

(Brevis 38, Mungroo 3/21)

Titans won by six wickets

THE Paarl Rocks cruised into the CSA T20 Challenge final with a crushing victory over neighbours Western Province at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.

The Rocks will meet the Titans, who had earlier despatched the Dolphins in the first semi-final.

It was sweet revenge for the Rocks after they had lost the tournament opener to Province a fortnight ago. It was even sweeter for the two Malan brothers – Pieter and Janneman – after they had swopped Newlands for the Boland at the end of last season.

With their dual transfer also causing a bit of a ruckus between the two Western Cape unions, they would have particularly enjoyed their 100run opening partnership to set the Rocks on the path to victory.

It ensured that the Rocks could even absorb a mini-collapse after losing Pieter (57), Janneman (39) and Michael Copeland (0) within seven balls of each other to still cruise home by seven wickets.

For Province, a five-game unbeaten run was followed by three consecutive defeats, with their senior players in particular going missing at crucial junctures.

The Rocks can look forward to their final against the Titans with their key players in prime form. Pieter Malan is the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 297 runs, while seamer Ziyaad Abrahams has been sensational since coming into the side midway through the tournament, with his 4/34 against Province propelling him to the summit of the wickets table.

Meanwhile, a combination of brilliant new-ball bowling, a Tabraiz Shamsi hat-trick and a breezy innings from Dewald Brevis powered the Titans to the CSA T20 Challenge final.

The Titans caught the Dolphins napping by reducing Imraan Khan’s team to 11/3 in a flash.

Junior Dala removed openers Keegan Petersen and Grant Roelofson before Lizaad Williams claimed the big wicket of Proteas southpaw David Miller.

Khaya Zondo (33) tried to rebuild the Dolphins innings but he had no support as Shamsi wreaked havoc in the middle overs.

The world’s No 1 T20 bowler has had a quiet tournament thus far, but it’s in the big games that he usually stands up and he did just that by dismissing Ruhan de Swardt, Bryce Parsons and Andile Phehlukwayo with successive deliveries.

“Our seamers up front made my job easy. Phangi (Aaron Phangiso) has also been a banker for us in the middle overs,” Shamsi said.

“It was my day today, but the final could be somebody else’s. We don’t rely on any one individual.”

The Dolphins posted just 93/8 in their allotted 20 overs, and although Kerwin Mungroo (3/21) raised their hopes with a three-wicket haul, Brevis (38) played an entertaining cameo to ensure the Sky Blues’ passage to Sunday’s showpiece.