Cobras crowned champions

Johannesburg - The Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras retained their SuperSport Series title in true champion style when they beat the Chevrolet Warriors by 7 wickets with a day to spare on Saturday and bad weather cut short play in the remaining two matches that finished on Sunday.

It is the Cobras’ second title of the season following their Standard Bank Pro20 success last month. It is the first time they have won two of the three major trophies in the same season since the franchise system was introduced.

There was no doubting the merits of their success. They won 5 matches outright which was two more than any other franchise and they also beat the Nashua Titans, their closest rivals, both home and away in four-day cricket.

The Titans did their best to complete a come-from-behind victory over the Chevrolet Knights at Sahara Willowmoore Park but were frustrated first by the latter’s tail that led a recovery from 127/7 to 239 all out. The major role was played by all-rounder Charl Pietersen who hit an unbeaten 63 (74 balls, 7 fours and 2 sixes).

Ethy Mbhalati and rookie Mechant de Lange shared 7 wickets between them but the Titans were left with a target of 346 in 69 overs at the rate of just above 5 to the over.

The Titans’ cause was not helped by the dismissal of first innings hero Jacques Rudolph without scoring in the only over bowled before lunch and they lost wickets regularly to be 96/4 when the rain intervened in mid-afternoon.

Play was called off with the Titans still needing 250 and the overs rapidly running out.

Knights’ all-rounder Obus Pienaar was named SuperSport Series Man of the Match after his outstanding double century followed by a further 67 runs in the second innings. He had also made a century in the previous match for an aggregate of nearly 400 runs for the last two weekends of the season.

No play was possible on the final day of the match between the Nashua Dolphins and the bizhub Highveld Lions at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead.