Ram Slam 2015: Kevin Pietersen hails 'great' Dolphins play-off win

Dolphins withstood Richard Levi's brutal 85 to grab a dramatic five-run win over Cape Cobras and secure a showdown with Titans in Saturday's Ram Slam T20 Challenge final.

Levi struck seven sixes in a dazzling 43-ball knock, only for his side to fall short of their victory target of 179, despite needing just 18 runs off as many balls with six wickets in the locker.

Seamers Andile Phehlukwayo (2-28) and Dwayne Bravo (1-27) kept it tight at the death as Cobras capitulated, losing six wickets for 41 runs in total to finish on 173-8, and ensure Kevin Pietersen's return to the side after a five-game break ended in success.

"It's a great victory for the lads," said Pietersen, who blazed 27 off just 10 balls, adding 37 off 2.4 overs for the third wicket with David Miller (33no) at the tail end of Dolphins' innings, to swell their total to 178-3 off 20 overs.

"I thought Andile was outstanding in that last over; he did that a few times in my first couple of games here. Dwayne Bravo showed all of his experience. They read the conditions well."

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Dolphins made a power-packed start after winning the toss as Cameron Delport (55 off 37) and skipper Morne van Wyk (57 off 49) put on 99 for the first wicket off 11.5 overs.

Delport cracked 43 off 25 balls in the first six overs, van Wyk contributing just six off his 11 balls faced, but thereafter watched on as his captain - strong on the sweep - got into his stride.

The left-hander celebrated reaching his ninth T20 fifty off 33 balls by switch-hitting Robin Peterson for four, only to fall to the spinner as he failed to clear Justin Ontong at wide long on.

Van Wyk also fell shortly after posting his fifty off 39 balls - his 17th Ram Slam half-century in all and second in succession - top-edging an attempted heave off Dane Paterson.

Pietersen came in at four, joining Miller with 15.4 overs of the innings gone and struck Mthokozisi Shezi over long on for six before striking a one-bounce four down the ground off his next ball.

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Wayne Parnell, the pick of the bowlers, wasn't spared the treatment either as Pietersen plundered 10 off two no-balls - the second ruling the spinner out of the attack for the rest of the innings.

Miller kept up the momentum when Pietersen picked out Ontong at deep midwicket in the next over and finished the innings with a flourish, striking 19 off the final over, bowled by Shezi.

Levi gave Cobras' chase a rollicking start, striking 16 off Rabian Engelbrecht's first over and dominated a blistering stand of 83 in seven overs with Parnell (27 off 22).

The 27-year-old's 20-ball fifty featured six sixes and although Andrew Puttick fell cheaply, Cobras still reached the halfway stage at 99-2.

By the time Levi was third out, lofting Delport to long on to make it 132-3, just 47 runs were needed off the final six overs - Lesiba Ngoepe (32 off 26) reducing the arrears to the point where Cobras needed a run-a-ball before tamely picking out Bravo at long off, off Phehlukwayo's bowling.

Peterson (three) quickly followed and with panic setting in, skipper Ontong was run out before Paterson failed to clear the in-field - Phehlukwayo claiming 2-7 off his final two overs to seal victory.

Watch Titans take on Dolphins in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge final live on Sky Sports 4 from 4pm on Saturday.