Simetu helps Warriors stun Titans in CSA T20

Dafabet Warriors spinner Siya Simetu picked up three crucial late wickets to help his team turn the match on its head and stun the Momentum Multiply Titans by picking up a two-run win in a thrilling CSA T20 Challenge clash at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday night.

After being set a tricky target of 186 to win the Titans looked well on course for the victory, with them needing 28 off the last 21 balls, with Dayyaan Galiem, 32 off 12 balls (2x4, 3x6) and Aiden Markram (25) at the crease in the 17th over.

But Simetu had other ideas as he bowled Galiem and had Markram stunningly caught by Matthew Breetzke to reduce the Titans to 159 for six with three overs remaining.

The Titans then needed 19 runs to win off the last two overs, only for Simetu to bowl a fantastic penultimate over that went for just four runs, while he also bowled Corbin Bosch (7) to end with top figures of 3-20 in his four overs.

With 15 needed off the final over it was just too much for the bowlers to pull off, despite two fours from the bat of Junior Dala (11no), while Aaron Phangiso (5no) missed out on two full tosses, as the Warriors clung on for a breathtaking win.

The Titans will be bitterly disappointed after an impressive innings from Dewald Brevis, 50 off 29 (5x4, 3x6), and some fireworks from the bat of Galiem looked to have put them into a winning position before the late drama.

At the start of the innings, the Titans' chase got off to a disastrous start as Sibonelo Makhanya (1) was run out going for an ill-advised second run off the fourth ball of the first over with the score 1 for one.

However, Brevis immediately found a willing partner in Rivaldo Moonsamy, 34 off 27 (4x4, 1x6), and they set about a strong 71-run second-wicket partnership off 45 balls.

Just as the Titans looked like they were taking charge, Patrick Kruger stepped in to break the stand, having Moonsamy caught by Nealan van Heerden.

That wicket started the Titans' slide of losing regular wickets over the rest of the innings as Kruger had Brevis caught by Jordan Hermann and Marco Jansen clean bowled Heinrich Klaasen (9) as the Titans slipped to 121 for four at the start of the 14th over.

A stunning start to his innings from Galiem, which saw him smash two fours and two sixes as he scored 22 off his first five balls faced against Jansen, looked to have swung the match back in the Titans' favour, only for Simetu to intervene.

In the Warriors' innings, half-centuries from the bats of Jansen and Jiveshan Pillay helped their side post a competitive score of 185 for five at the end of their 20 overs.

Jansen was promoted up the order to No. 4 and after getting off to a slow start found his range late in the innings to crash his way to an unbeaten 56 off 34 balls (4x4, 4x6), while Pillay produced the goods at the top of the order in scoring 50 off 37 (5x4, 2x6).

At the start of play the Titans won the toss and sent the Warriors in to bat, with them getting off to an okay start thanks to Pillay as they managed 25 off the first four overs before Breetzke, who struggled in scoring five off 13 balls, was caught by Bosch off the bowling of Dala in the fifth over.

Pillay and Hermann (14) shared in a 33-run second wicket stand before Hermann was caught by Galiem off the bowling of Markram as they slipped to 58 for two.

This brought Jansen in to join Pillay and they looked good in adding 47 for the third wicket off 32 balls, but having just brought up his half century Pillay was caught by Markram off Galiem leaving the Warriors on 105 for three in the 14th over.

Tristan Stubbs, 27 off 18 (4x4) and Jansen were then bogged down by some good Titans bowling, but as they entered the final five overs they unleashed as 60 runs came off them.

That included Jansen taking off, after he struggled initially with him on 27 off 24 balls at one stage, before he slammed 23 runs off his next seven deliveries to reach a 31-ball half-century.

Stubbs fell in the penultimate over, caught by Markram off Lizaad Williams, which saw Kruger come in for a quickfire cameo as he slammed 17 off seven balls, before he was caught at long-on by Brevis off the bowling of Bosch off the last ball of the innings.

MOMENTUM MULTIPLY TITANS: Sibonelo Makhanya, Dewald Brevis, Rivaldo Moonsamy (wk), Aiden Markram (capt), Heinrich Klaasen, Dayyaan Galiem, Corbin Bosch, Junior Dala, Lizaad Williams, Aaron Phangiso, Tabraiz Shamsi

DAFABET WARRIORS: Jiveshan Pillay, Jordan Hermann, Matthew Breetzke (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Sinethemba Qeshile (wk), Patrick Kruger, Andile Mokgakane, Marco Jansen, Nealan van Heerden, Siya Simetu, Beyers Swanepoel