Titans favourites against inconsistent Knights

The Titans welcome the Knights to the SuperSport Park like a spider inviting an insect into its web. The only difference is that the hosts aren't being cryptic about their intention - there's no mystery in their luring, they simply want to destroy.

The hosts, on an eight-match unbeaten streak, welcome back two national players and the competition's most economical bowler to their ranks. The Knights have lost more matches than they won in the group stages, had to do without their captain Boeta Dippenaar, who was ruled out with injury before the campaign even started and have only just found something resembling consistent form in the competition. It's clear who the favourites will be in the MTN40 final in Centurion on Friday.

The Titans have the armoury to do just that. AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel will be in the starting line-up and Ethy Mbhalati returns from a thigh injury. They have an embarrassment of talent and it will be interesting to see who gets left out. Andre Nel and Mario Olivier may have to make way for Morkel and Mbhalati, while Gulam Bodi is the likely candidate to be dropped for de Villiers.

"It means a lot to everyone in this squad to play in the final," Jacques Rudolph, captain of the Titans told ESPNcricinfo. "It's going to be tough to leave anyone out because everybody is in really good form and that's been our strength this season. In the eight matches we've won, we've had eight Man-of-the-Match performances from different players."

That has been the theme of Titans' season. One of their men is always on hand to deliver. In the semi-final against the Lions, Roelof van der Merwe was that man, with both bat and ball. Faf du Plessis, who has recovered from a cracked rib, tops the run charts with 456 runs from nine matches, including back-to-back centuries. Henry Davids has performed well in the opener's role, Rudolph lies fourth on the batting rankings and Farhaan Behardien, Heino Kuhn, David Wiese and Albie Morkel are on hand to provide power hitting if needed.

The Titans work like a well-oiled machine and are already the most successful franchise in the country. The only thing weighing on their minds must be the high expectation that engulfs them. "There's always pressure to win a trophy but we are confident in our ability." Rudolph said.

By contrast, the Knights have no such anxiety since they have already ticked the box that represented their goal for the tournament. "The aim was to get to the semi-final and now that we have gone one further we just want to try our best and see what happens from there," Ryan McLaren said. "There's no pressure to win a trophy, we've gone about our cricket in a relaxed fashion and allowed the guys to really express themselves."

That attitude hasn't filled the Knights with delusions about the calibre of the side they are facing, one that beat them twice in the group stages. "The Titans are a really well balanced side and with a few of the national guys back they have a very formidable line-up but we've found form at the right time."

The Knights, along with their captain, Morne van Wyk, had an average group campaign. They lost four matches and if it wasn't for the abysmal form of the Cobras may not have reached the knockout stage. Then, they almost stumbled while chasing of a modest 226 against the Dolphins in the first leg semi-final, before Johan van der Wath stepped up to win that match. van Wyk and his team were better in the second leg. The captain scored a century and the bowlers defended 215.

Their most promising player has been left-arm bowler Jandre Coetzee. "He is our prodigy and has been part of the system for a while. He comes from Springbok (a small Northern Cape Town), so it's quite a drive for him to get to us, but he really wants to play. He's done well in the twenty-over form of the game and now he is proving himself in the forty-over format as well," McLaren said.

The Knights did not display much of their batting prowess in the semis but that doesn't mean they don't have any. Rilee Rossouw has been their most consistent performer, with two centuries in the competition so far and McLaren believes he is the man who can turn the game in their favour.

It's a classic case of the mighty against the underdogs, with the Titans displaying supreme confidence and the Knights dogged spirit ahead of the encounter. The only thing that may prevent it from becoming an epic battle is the weather. The Highveld has been hit by thunderstorms for the past two afternoons and is forecast to experience the same on Friday.