Publications
Partners
Pretoria - A good all-round effort from Chris Morris was not enough to pull off an unlikely victory for the Titans as they had to settle for a draw against the Dolphins on the final day of their 4-Day Franchise Series encounter in Centurion on Saturday.
The Proteas star took two wickets to help the champions begin the final day with a bang at SuperSport Park, before striking 46 as the home side ended 33 runs shy of pulling off a win.
When stumps were drawn at the end of the game, the Titans had reached 244 for eight - thanks also to Theunis de Bruyn’s 60 (101 balls, 9 fours) and 53 (102 balls, 11 fours) from Andrea Agathangelou. The hosts were chasing 277 for the victory after earlier claiming the final three visiting wickets for 21.
The Dolphins began day four in a good position on 297 for seven and with Calvin Savage set on 51. But the early closure the evening before due to bad light appeared to disrupt the Durbanites, with two men - Keshav Maharaj (8) and Okuhle Cele (0) - dismissed by Morris, who ended with three for 39, for the addition of just two runs.
Savage did his best to add quick runs, before falling last man to Eldred Hawken (2/52) for 68 (88 balls, 4 fours, 5 sixes). Shaun von Berg was the other stand-out bowler with three for 64.
The Titans made a flying start to the response by reaching 124 for one in the 35th over. This was thanks in the main to Agathangelou and De Bruyn, returning to his former franchise this season.
But the result then threatened to go the other way after South Africa spinner Maharaj claimed four for 71. Aided by Cele (2/39) and Robbie Frylinck (2/43), the home side slipped from their position of superiority to 140 for five, before Morris gave them hope.
But once he fell, Von Berg shut up shop at the other end as
the game ended in a draw.
