Hashim Amla (Gallo Images)

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Centurion - The defending champions, the Titans, lost their chance to win their third successive limited overs title when the Dolphins beat them by 16 runs in the MTN40 semi-final played at Supersport Park on Sunday.

Chasing 252 for victory, the Titans - who finished the league at the top of the table - made 236 for nine in the second semi-final. The Dolphins will play the Warriors in East London on Friday night.

The Titans got off to the worst possible start, when Gulam Bodi ran himself out off the first ball of the innings, before a run had been scored.

Jacques Rudolph followed five overs later, caught by Dale Benkenstein off Johann Louw for seven.

Heino Kuhn and AB de Villiers put on 48 runs for the fourth wicket before Daryn Smith took an excellent catch to dismiss Kuhn off his own bowling for 28.

De Villiers then joined forces with Faf du Plessis, and they shared a stand of 68, which ended when De Villiers was run out by the combined efforts of David Miller and Alfonso Thomas for 61. It was his 28th limited overs 50 and came at nearly a run a ball.

Farhaan Behardien made just two runs before he was caught by Thomas off Smit. Du Plessis notched up his 15th limited overs 50, and appeared to be on his way to taking his team to their third successive final until he was caught by Andrew Hall off Kyle Abbott for 51, and the Titans' hopes of hosting the final drained away.

Big-hitting Albie Morkel made 26 off 27 balls before being caught by David Miller, who ran around from long-off to take the catch behind the bowler, Andrew Hall. Roelof van der Merwe was leg before wicket to Louw without scoring, and it was left to captain Pierre Joubert and Morne Morkel to try to take the Titans through.

The required run rate rose steadily and although the hosts were scoring at virtually a run a ball, they could not keep up.

With 12 balls left, Morkel was caught on the boundary by De Bruyn for eight as he tried to hit a boundary off Thomas, and any chance the Titans had of winning had gone.

Earlier, the Amla brothers, Hashim and Ahmed, each scored a half century to help take their team to 251 for six. It was Ahmed's 19th limited overs 50 and Hashim's 15th. The brothers both faced just 48 deliveries to reach the milestone.

Loots Bosman made 42 off 49 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes before he was run out by a combination of Ethy Mbhalati and wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn.

Mbhalati took two wickets for 51 runs, while Morne Morkel (1/45), Roelof van der Merwe (1/58) and Pierre Joubert (1/33) chipped in with a wicket each.