The Multiply Titans scrambled their way to the top of the Sunfoil Series table after edging out the Hollywoodbets Dolphins by two wickets midway through the final day of a closely fought affair at the City Oval in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.
Chasing a paltry 91 for victory, the champions made heavy weather of the win, before getting there with eight wickets down against a depleted hoMe attack that was without the injured Standard Bank Proteas spinner, Keshav Maharaj.
Another slow bowler in Prenelan Subrayen claimed a career-best 5/35 with his right-arm off-breaks, but it was still not enough as the valiant hosts were made to pay for their poor second-innings showing.
The Durbanites had started the final day on 146/5, a lead of only 44, and more poor batting on day four saw them lose their remaining five wickets for only 47.
Daryn Smit, who was unbeaten overnight on 62, top-scored with 72 (131 balls, 9 fours), but there was little else support from the rest of his team-mates – the home side bundled out for 192 in 61.3 overs.
Leg-break bowler Shaun von Berg was the pick of the bowlers for the Titans on the final day and ended with 3/66, with captain Henry Davids returning the best figures of 3/29, having caught the host off-guard when he opened the bowling the previous day.
With a target of less than 100 and plenty of overs to get them, the away side limped their way through.
Subrayen was the star man with his maiden career fiver-for giving the batsmen nightmares, while Senuran Muthusamy picked up 2/43 – the pair doing excellently in the absence of Maharaj, who suffered a grade one tear of his groin muscle on Friday.
Heinrich Klaasen top scored with 35, while Von Berg made a critical unbeaten 16 after the Titans had lost 6/46 at one point.
In the end, they got over the line in 31.4 overs to move back to the competition summit with one round to play next week.
Mark Boucher’s men now have 94.62 followed by the VKB Knights (92.24), the BuildNat Cape Cobras (85.74) and the Dolphins (84.67).