Lions fall short as Titans secure One-Day Cup trophy

Keegan Petersen’s gritty 90 and stellar half-century from Duan Jansen, secured the One-Day Cup for the Titans in a scrappy but pulsating final against the Lions at the Wanderers on Sunday.

The Titans won by three wickets, with Roelof van der Merwe hitting the winning runs off the penultimate delivery of the match after the Lions had set their neighbours a target of 249. Petersen, a somewhat forgotten figure who’s played 14 Tests, produced the kind of innings that made him an international player, holding together the Titans innings after they reduced to 0/2 after just nine balls.

His and Jansen’s partnership of 78 for the sixth wicket turned the momentum of the innings and earned the Centurion-based union a first outright trophy win in three years and the first for Rivash Gobind, who was appointed as head coach at the start of the season.

The triumph illustrated the kind of fighting spirit the Titans have needed in a season where they flirted with relegation and were forced to call on the services of 41-year-old Van der Merwe in the final week to get them into the playoffs.

The Lions made too many errors in the field, dropping three catches, including Petersen on 39, while there were a plethora of misfields and Mitchell van Buuren had a dreadful afternoon behind the stumps.

But the Lions were made to feel the pressure thanks to Petersen’s determined effort in which he faced 134 balls, hitting nine fours and a six. Having staved off the Lions’ new ball charge — and watched as Neil Brand joined that early procession to leave the Titans 18/3 in the seventh over — Petersen and Keagan Lion-Cachet added 59 for the fourth wicket to stabilise the innings.

The Lions regained the initiative after Andile Phelukwayo’s dismissal, but once Jansen was set he did a very good impression of his twin brother Marco, belting three sixes and a couple of fours to finish with an unbeaten 61.

There was controversy late in the Titans’ innings with Beyers Swanepoel going off the field with an internal injury and the umpires not allowing the Lions to replace him. The home team’s skipper was furious with the officials and for the bulk of the last 10 overs of the match the Lions only had 10 fielders.

The Lions made 248/9 after choosing to bat with Rassie van der Dussen, top scoring with a battling 57.

It took another gritty knock from Delano Potgieter, who made 33 off 27 balls to get the Lions to a competitive total

It was a tricky pitch that offered assistance to all the bowlers throughout. There was seam and swing available, the ball spun prodigiously and occasionally the bounce was inconsistent.

But it made for an intriguing spectacle in a match featuring 15 players, who have been capped by the Proteas.

Two of those, Van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma, were instrumental in providing the Lions’ innings with impetus after the Titans did not use the ball as well as they should have initially.

Van der Dussen struggled to come to terms with the surface, but the resolve with which he played was crucial. Bavuma played with more fluency and his six, clipped over midwicket off Lizaad Williams, changed the momentum of his side’s innings.

The shot gave Van der Dussen confidence too and he launched Van der Merwe over long off in the next over. Together the pair added 77 for the third wicket, with the Proteas captain the more aggressive of the two hitting a further three sixes in his 43, that came off 42 balls.

His dismissal by Dayyaam Galiem changed the course of the innings. The Titans were able to pick up wickets at regular intervals. The Lions lost five wickets for 50 in 12 overs after Bavuma’s dismissal.

Van Der Dussen was one of those, trapped lbw by Van der Merwe for 57, that was scored off 86 balls and included four fours and a six.

It took another gritty knock from Delano Potgieter, who made 33 off 27 balls to get the Lions to a competitive total.

It proved insufficient, however, and the Titans turned the Wanderers blue, celebrating a success that seemed a long way off in December when they were struggling in the relegation zone.