It’s the end of the road for Western Province in the T20 Challenge, as they were knocked out by the Titans at Newlands on Sunday.
In what was effectively a quarterfinal clash between the fifth-placed Kaapse manne and their fourth-placed visitors from Pretoria ended in a one-sided contest, with the Titans booking their place in the semifinals of the competition and WP pakking their tassies.
After winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Province sakked inmekaar from the get-go, with Junior Dala (3/13) and Corbin Bosch (3/21) wreaking havoc to restrict the hosts to just 113/9 in their 20 overs.
Captain Kyle Verreynne was the only WP player to put up a real fight, scoring 48 runs off 31 balls. Verreynne klapped three fours and three sixes.
The next best batsman was Jonathan Bird with his 16 runs off 27 balls.
Province then needed to “Dala flat” themselves with ball in hand if they were to have any shot at winning the match and booking their place in the tournament’s play-offs.
Titans opening batsman Lhuan-dre Pretorius wasn’t going to allow them to do so and laid the perfect platform for his team’s victory with a blitsige 52 off 32 balls in an innings that included three fours and four sixes.
When he eventually fell to Kyle Simmonds (2/33), Neil Brand (4*) and Abdu Galiem (5*) got the Titans home with six wickets in the bank to book their place in the semis along- side, the table-topping Lions, the second-placed Dolphins and the Warriors in third place.
MATCH RESULT | Things didn't go our way as we bow out of the CSA #T20Challenge campaign. #WPcricket #westernprovince #BoysInBlue💙#WSBWP🧡 #WSBNewlands #WozaNawe #T20Challenge pic.twitter.com/o4KeLad3in
— Western Province Men (@WP_Blitz) April 21, 2024
The first semifinal will be played on Wednesday and the second one the following day.
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za