Eyes on the ball. (Gallo Images)

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Benoni - Playing in his first SuperSport Series match, Hardus Viljoen took five wickets for 57, and scored 45 off 44 balls to help the Titans to a two wicket victory over the Highveld Lions at Willowmoore Park on Sunday.

Chasing 309 to win, the Titans passed the target in fading light, with 23 overs to spare.

The Titans made a determined effort to chase down the runs, scoring at more than four runs an over, but lost wickets at regular intervals and, for much of the final day, the Lions appeared to have victory in their sights.

Andre Nel, back from a long injury lay-off, drew first blood in the third over, when Pieter Malan was caught by Stephen Cook for four.

Cliffie Deacon claimed the important wickets of Jacques Rudolph, caught behind by Thami Tsolekile for 16 and Blake Snijman, who was bowled for 69.

Then Tabraiz Shamsi who had played just nine first class games before this one was brought on to bowl and began to spin his magic web, with Heino Kuhn, Gulam Bodi and Shaun von Berg all trapped leg before wicket.

The players left the field just before tea because of a shower of rain and, although play was resumed after tea, it was always going to be a case of whether the Lions could get the three wickets they needed, the Titans the 98 runs, or whether rain and bad light would decide matters.

When Farhaan Behardien was caught behind by Tsolekile off Nel for 50, it appeared that victory was in the Lions grasp, but Viljoen and Mashimbyi stood firm and, when the umpires took the light meters out, a sense of urgency took hold as they chased down the runs.

Mashimbyi hit a six off Shamsi, and then finished the game off by smashing Zander de Bruyn for a massive six. Viljoen was named Man of the Match.

Shamsi was the most successful of the Lions bowlers, taking three for 83 to add to the four wickets he took in his debut franchise match.

Earlier, the Titans needed just 67 minutes to bowl the Lions out. After two and a half days in which the pitch offered nothing to the bowlers, it turned spiteful on the final morning of the match as the Lions crashed to 114 all out, after resuming on their overnight score of 45 for four.

Viljoen playing in his first Supersport Series match was the wrecker in chief, ending up with a "five-for" on debut. Three of his wickets Alviro Petersen, Neil McKenzie and Vaughn van Jaarsveld fell on Saturday, but he continued the good work on Sunday with Jonathan Vandiar caught by Blake Snijman for 27 and Craig Alexander bowled for 10.

Basheer Walters weighed in with three wickets, while Mandla Mashimbyi and Shaun von Berg took one each.

Vandiar (27) and Deacon (25) were the top scorers for the Lions in an innings that was in stark contrast to their first innings, when six batsmen scored more than 50.