Cricket season wrap: How Lions, Titans and Rocks shared the silverware

The Lions capped off a relatively successful season with an impressive win over the Titans in the One Day Cup final on Wednesday to close off an entertaining First Division season.

This season was the first under the new structure, with the eight first division sides battling it out on three fronts, while the second division sides competed on their own side.

In the end it proved to be a top season for the Titans who were crowned CSA four day champions, while they also finished as runners-up in both the T20 and one day competitions.

The Titans beat the Lions in both sides’ final four day game last month to lift the title, so it was a bit of revenge when the Lions upset the odds to beat the Titans in the one day final earlier this week.

“Of course we are disappointed with the (one day cup final) result, but as a team we have had an awesome campaign. Guys have put up their hands in pressure situations and it just hurts a bit to end off this way,” said Titans captain Sibonelo Makhanya.

“But that’s the game of cricket. Someone’s gotta win and someone’s gotta lose.”

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Although the Titans were the form side over the season, the Lions weren’t far behind, as they finished third in the four day competition, which went down to the wire with that final game deciding the champions.

However, the one blip on their season was a dismal CSA T20 campaign, where they surprisingly finished bottom of the log.

It was the Paarl Rocks, in their maiden season in the first division, that surprised many to triumph in the T20 tournament, beating the more fancied Western Province in the semis and Titans in the final.

Despite their mid table finish in the four day competition and ending second from bottom of the One Day table, the Rocks will undoubtedly consider it a successful season having picked up silverware at the first time of asking.

The team who had the worst season in the first division ended up being the Knights, who despite starting their campaign with silverware then struggled in the top division.

The local season got underway with the CSA T20 knockout competition, which had both the first and second division teams battling it out, with the Knights taking the title.

However, they then finished second from bottom of the four day and T20 logs, while ending off their season with a mid-table finish in the One Day Cup, making it a very underwhelming campaign that promised much after their early success.