Johannesburg — The Multiply Titans have won a lot of competitions in the last 15 years, but on those rare occasions when they don’t, it has stung, and it was one such loss last summer that fuelled success for the ‘Sky Blues’ at the start of 2022/23 season.
The Titans were the most successful team in last season’s tournament in Gqeberha, topping the league table with six wins out of seven but then fell short in the final to the Boland Rocks. Over the course of three weeks in Potchefstroom, again they finished atop the log, losing just once, and again they made the final. On Saturday afternoon, they ensured the pain the endured at St. George’s Park last season would not be revisited at JB Marks Oval.
“It’s a sweet one,” Titans captain Sibonelo Makhanya, who was part of last season’s campaign, said. The Titans beat the HollywoodBets Dolphins by four wickets in the last over of a pulsating final, securing the first Division One trophy of the season.
“It’s come off the back of a lot of hard work and a lot of honest chats, lots of failures last (season), getting into (the) final of this competition and falling short. This is a funny game, it keeps on giving opportunities.
“There’d be no success without the failures. The failures make the successes so much sweeter, you appreciate it a lot more and you don’t take this kind of stuff for granted. These moments don’t come often. At the Titans, I know players have won a lot of trophies but we always savour these moments, and we will remember them for the rest of our careers.”
They were certainly made to work for it by the Dolphins who posted a competitive 162/3 thanks to half centuries from Keegan Petersen and Jon-Jon Smuts, with that duo sharing a partnership of 115 runs for the second wicket.
Worryingly from a Proteas perspective, Petersen was taken off the field on a stretcher after injuring his hamstring while diving to make a stop on the boundary. With just six weeks to go before the Test series in Australia starts, Petersen’s progress will have to be closely monitored as attention turns to the Four Day Series, which starts on Thursday for the Division One teams.
The T20 Challenge showed that South African cricket certainly has depth even as the Proteas come to terms with yet another depressing World Cup exit.
Grant Roelofson and Dewald Brewis, despite their failures in the final, are talented players who, importantly, score their runs at very good rates.
The middle order is perhaps lacking, but Wiaan Mulder’s contributions for the Lions could make him a Proteas candidate again, especially given his ability with the ball.
Donavan Ferreira showed why the Joburg Super Kings paid R5.5-million for his finishing ability, with a cool and composed 25-ball 40, which along with Dayyaan Galiem’s 32 not out off 22 balls, got the Titans across the line in the final.
Once again the country’s bowling stocks look good, with Boland’s Bamanye Xenxe, finishing as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 18, while Gerald Coetzee and Ottniel Baartman, despite an off day in the final, once more displaying their wicket-taking ability.
TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT
Grant Roelofsen (KZN Hollywood Bets Dolphins)
Runs 333; Strike Rate: 132.66, 3x50. Catches: 10, Stumpings: 4
Dewald Brevis (Multiply Northerns Titans)
Runs 327; Strike Rate: 176.75, 1x100, 1x50. Wickets 7, Economy Rate: 7.50
Theunis de Bruyn (Multiply Northerns Titans)
Runs 170; Strike Rate: 132.81
Jordan Hermann (Dafabet EP Warriors)
Runs 186; Strike Rate: 116.25, 2x50
Wiaan Mulder (DP World Gauteng Lions)
Runs 206; Strike Rate: 140.13, 2x50. Wickets 3, Economy Rate 7.21
Donovan Ferreira (Multiply Northerns Titans)
155 runs; Strike Rate 168.47. Catches: 5
Duan Jansen (North West Dragons)
Runs 137; Strike Rate 185.13. Wickets 4, Economy Rate 8.17
Gerald Coetzee (ITEC Free State Knights)
Runs 85; Strike Rate 207.31. Wickets 13, Economy Rate 7.67, 2x4-fer
Aaron Phangiso (Multiply Northerns Titans)
Wickets 12, Economy Rate: 5.94, 1x4-fer
Ottniel Baartman (KZN Hollywood Bets Dolphins)
Wickets 15, Economy Rate: 7.40, 1x5-fer
Bamanye Xenxe (Gbets Boland Rocks)
Wickets 18, Economy Rate: 7.75, 2x4-fer
IOL Sport