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Van der Merwe shines as Titans reach final

Dec 1, 2010 11:26 PM | By Sapa

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Spin bowler Roelof van der Merwe bagged a five-wicket haul, guiding the Titans into the MTN40 final as the visitors clinched an 11-run win over the Highveld Lions in the second leg semifinal at the Wanderers on Wednesday.

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Roelof van der Merwe celebrates the wicket of Jean Symes during the MTN40 second leg semi-final between the Titans and Highveld Lions at Wanderers on December 1, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Photograph by: Lee Warren
Credit: Gallo Images

SCOREBOARD

The Titans, who won the first leg by three wickets at the weekend when Van der Merwe shone with the bat, will face either the Dolphins or the Knights in the final next Friday.

Chasing 288 to win, the Lions got off to a cracking start with openers Jonathan Vandiar and Alviro Petersen tearing into the Titans attack.

Vandiar raced to his half-century off 26 balls but the 20-year-old was eventually removed by Van der Merwe after smashing 66 runs from 41 deliveries, including six fours and three big sixes, for his fifth career one-day half-century.

Van der Merwe, the Man of the Match, struck again with his next delivery when he removed Richard Cameron for a golden duck, forcing Petersen to retreat into his shell.

With the Lions looking set to run away with the game, the Titans bowlers choked the life out of their hosts, with Neil McKenzie (four runs) and Zander de Bruyn (nought) removed in successive overs to leave the Lions on the back foot at 124 for four.

Van der Merwe was removed from the attack, and returned eight overs later to bag the key scalp of Petersen with his third delivery, securing three wickets in the space of five balls.

Petersen, who was caught behind, fell one run short of his half-century, making 49 at a run a ball with four boundaries and two sixes.

The Lions needed only 59 balls for their first 100 runs, but faced another 93 deliveries in compiling their next 50 and the writing was on the wall.

Jean Symes, who made a smashing 72 from 52 balls for his eighth half-century before he was removed in the penultimate over, and Lions captain Thami Tsolekile, who hit 55 off 56 for his second fifty, put up a valiant fight with a 94-run stand for the sixth wicket.

The Titans, however, maintained their composure and held on to secure their place in the final.

Van der Merwe returned five for 41 -- the second five-wicket haul of his career -- and Albie Morkel pitched in with three for 52.

Titans openers Henry Davids and Gulam Bodi had gotten the visitors off to a solid start with a 60-run opening stand after they lost the toss and were sent in to bat.

Bodi contributed only 13 runs, and after he was removed, Davids combined in a 62-run partnership for the second wicket with Titans skipper Jacques Rudolph.

The introduction of spinner Paul Harris, however, signalled the end for Davids who was removed with Harris‘ fifth delivery of the innings.

Davids made 67 runs off 57 balls including eight fours and two sixes for his 18th career half-century.

Midway through the innings Harris, who had taken a blinder at short mid-wicket to remove Bodi, spilled a catch off his own bowling with Van der Merwe on 11.

Van der Merwe added only four more, however, with Harris making up for his blunder two overs later to have the star all-rounder caught by Robert Frylinck at deep square leg.

Rudolph gifted Alviro Petersen a catch at short cover, making 79 runs off only 54 balls with 11 fours and two sixes to earn his 52nd half-century, but his wicket triggered a mini-collapse.

The Lions attack combined to strike three times in quick succession, bagging a trio of wickets for only five runs, and putting a spanner in the works as they slowed down the visitors‘ momentum.

Farhaan Behardien, however, combined with Heino Kuhn in a 57-run stand for the seventh wicket to steady the ship before Behardien holed out to Jean Symes in the deep for 34 runs.

Kuhn made an unbeaten 30 at a run a ball, and tail ender Mangaliso Mosehle smashed 20 off the last four deliveries of the innings, including three successive sixes off Frylinck to boost the total to 287 for eight.

Frylinck, who gave away 72 runs from his eight overs, nonetheless made a valuable contribution, bagging three scalps, while Harris led the attack with a return of three for 38.