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Rudolph secures Titans win

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Jacques Rudolphy (File)
Jacques Rudolphy (File)
Durban - Jacques Rudolph struck the winning run off the final ball to help the Nashua Titans secure a six-wicket win over the Sunfoil Dolphins in their MiWay T20 Challenge match at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.

Chasing 168 for victory, the Proteas batsman carried his bat to end unbeaten on 62 off 55 balls with Heino Kuhn (39 off 27) and Martin van Jaarsveld (31 off 18) also providing handy contributions.

Earlier, Cody Chetty showed further signs of maturity with a fine 63 off 49 deliveries to help the hosts reach 167 for five.

The 20-year-old, who made a flashy 82 off 49 against the Chevrolet Knights on Wednesday, shared in a record stand for the fifth wicket with David Miller (44 off 40) to help the Dolphins recover from a poor start.

They were on 51 for four at one stage, but the two put on 116 together to surpass the previous mark of 89 between Gerald Dros and Justin Kemp in the 2004/05 season.

But their effort was in vein as the visitors won much more comfortably than the last-ball win suggested.

The men from Pretoria were dealt an early blow in their reply with Henry Davids fending a fine delivery from Mthokozisi Shezi straight to wicketkeeper Daryn Smit.

Kuhn should have been out for 24, but a thick edge to Smit off Robbie Frylinck was not spotted by Brian Jerling.

After surviving that drama, the visitors went past 50 in the sixth over, before their wicketkeeper lofted Cameron Delport to straight to Miller at long-on to leave the score on 64 for two.

Van Jaarsveld then joined Rudolph as the hosts looked to have the game under control.

But after staring their partnership steadily, the two batsmen soon began to cut loose with a 23-run over from Delport illustrating which way the game was going.

That was the 13th over in which the 100 was raised and also Van Jaarsveld and Rudolph raise their 50 stand in 31 balls.

The breakthrough eventually came after 56 were added together when the captain was cleaned up by Frylinck.

Nine runs later Farhaan Behardien (six) fell, playing across the line to Kyle Abbott and caught by Loots Bosman on the sweeper boundary.

Rudolph got to his 50 in 48 balls and, with 10 needed from the final over, the opener struck two fours off Frylinck to take the visitors home.

Earlier, after winning the toss and batting first, Delport blasted 38 off 17 to hand the Dolphins a breath-taking start.

Despite the loss of Loots Bosman (two) at the other end and captain Imraan Khan (nought), the part-time opener continued to paste the Titans attack.

But after reaching 38 off 16, including two sixes and six fours, Delport was out in strange fashion, hanging his bat above his head in an attempt to leave – the ball from CJ de Villiers (2-42) striking the bat and flying to David Wiese at short fine leg.

The Dolphins were suddenly in trouble at 41 for three and, after crossing 50 in the seventh over, Vaughn van Jaarsveld (three) was run out by Van Jaarsveld attempting a quick single.

Then came the key stand between Miller and Chetty, which saw the two add Chetty smashed rookie Eden Links for a six over long on to take the Dolphins past 100 in the 15th over with the same stroke raising the 50 partnership from 46 balls.

The young Dolphins batsman reached his 50 from 39 balls with a late cut past third man for four.

Chetty and Miller continued to flourish and a massive six by the latter over cow corner saw the hosts soar past 150 with six balls to go – the shot also bringing up the 100 stand in 77 balls – as the Dolphins ended on a high.
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