Centurion - David Wiese bludgeoned his way to a superb half-century to lead the Titans to a gripping four-wicket win over the Warriors in their 1 Day Cup match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.

The Titans, chasing the Warriors 294 for six, looked dead and buried when they slipped to 170 for five in the 33rd over but Wiese made light of the daunting target as he smashed his way to 82 off a mere 51 deliveries as the Titans reached 298 for six with eight balls to spare.

The loss meant that the Warriors slipped to third on the points table and will have to travel to Bloemfontein to take on the Chevrolet Knights in the semifinal on Sunday for the right to play the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras in the final in Cape Town on December 9.

Wiese’s astonishing assault included five fours and six sixes before he was dismissed in the 48th over when he edged a delivery from Makhaya Ntini back onto his stumps.

The 26-year-old Wiese brought up his fifty off 40 balls before going into overdrive with his next 32 runs coming up off a trifling 11 deliveries.

The right-handed Wiese and Farhaan Behardien put on 119-runs for the sixth-wicket to take the Titans to the brink of victory with Behardien ending not out on 52.

The Titans made a wobbly start to their run chase as they slipped to 33 for two before Faf du Plessis and Heino Kuhn steadied the innings with a third-wicket partnership that produced 100 runs.

Kuhn struck an aggressive 57 off 59 balls but his defiance was ended when he popped a return catch to off-spinner Johan Botha.

Kuhn departed with the total on 133 and one run later Martin van Jaarsveld (0) was trapped leg-before by left-arm spinner Nicky Boje.

Boje then removed the in-form Du Plessis when he drew the batsman out of his crease to allow keeper Arno Jacobs to stump Du Plessis. Du Plessis was dismissed for 70 off 74 deliveries but his departure allowed Wiese to enter the fray and complete a remarkable fightback.

Ntini ended with figures of three for 48 off eight overs.

Jon-Jon Smuts had earlier stroked his way to a half-century to provide the platform for the Warriors’ innings.

Opening batsman Smuts held the innings together thanks to 80 off 113 deliveries with 10 fours before he was bowled by leg-spinner Du Plessis in the 32nd over.

Smuts’ efforts allowed other Warriors’ batsmen to play with a touch of freedom as Ashwell Prince weighed in with a rapid 52 off 56 balls while Justin Kreusch pummelled his way to 61 off 52 deliveries.

The 23-year-old Smuts shared in two sizeable partnerships for the visitors, after the Warriors won the toss and elected to bat, as he and Jacobs (24) and put on a 63-run opening stand before Jacobs was dismissed by De Villiers thanks to a diving catch from Rowan Richards at mid-on.

Colin Ingram (10) departed shortly after, caught behind off a delivery from left-arm seamer Richards, before Smuts and Prince added 68 runs for the third wicket.

Prince departed a delivery after reaching his half-century, caught at mid-on, off a delivery from Richards.

The left-handed Prince’s dismissal left the Warriors on 200 for four which quickly became 207 for five when seamer Wiese bowled Botha (4) but Kreusch and Craig Thyssen picked up the cudgels as they hammered their way to a sixth-wicket partnership of 72 off just 8.2 overs.

The right-handed Kreusch, after thrashing two fours and four sixes, departed in the penultimate over, caught at long-on off a delivery from left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, while Thyssen ended not out of a quickfire 39.

Richards was the Titans’ most successful bowler although he was a touch on the expensive side as he conceded 73 runs off his 10 overs while picking up two wickets.

Teams:

Titans: Henry Davids, Heino Kuhn, Mangaliso Mosehle (wk), Martin van Jaarsveld (capt), Faf du Plessis, Farhaan Behardien, David Wiese, Roelof van der Merwe, CJ de Villiers, Rowan Richards, Ethy Mbhalati.

Warriors: Jon-Jon Smuts, Arno Jacobs (wk), Colin Ingram (capt), Ashwell Prince, Justin Kreusch, Craig Thyssen, Johan Botha, Nicky Boje, Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Makhaya Ntini.