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Cape Town - The Cape Cobras brought the star-studded Titans crashing back down to earth in the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge at Newlands on Friday.
It is the Titans' first loss in the competition this year after nine rounds of fixtures, and in the end it was a dramatic three-wicket win for the Cobras as they crossed the line with just one ball to spare.
The hero on the day was Ferisco Adams, who scored 20* off 12 down the order while George Linde's 16* off 11 was also crucial.
The win means that the Capetonians solidify second spot on the log and they have now taken a significant step towards hosting a semi-final.
Having won the toss, Cobras skipper JP Duminy opted to bowl first.
The Titans were without AB de Villiers, but their batting line-up was still potent enough with Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Farhaan Behardien, Albie Morkel and Chris Morris all Proteas.
But they never got going with De Kock (6) and Markram (8) the first to fall as Mark Boucher's men were put firmly on the back foot from the get-go.
Dane Paterson (3/28) was the man who did the damage up front with those two early wickets that ultimately set the Cobras up for the win.
Henry Davids was out for a run-a-ball 30 when he was caught behind off the bowling of spinner George Linde, and the Titans quickly left it up to the in-form Farhaan Behardien to get them something competitive.
Behardien has been in superb touch all tournament and he was once more on Friday. He knocked the ball around the park for an innings of 43 off 30 before he had his middle stump castled by Ferisco Adams.
That was the first time in six RAM SLAM innings this year, and 11 innings in all formats, that Behardien was dismissed.
Morkel (3) and Morris (13) did not come off, and in the end the Titans were restricted to 132/9 from their 20 overs.
Dale Steyn took the new ball for the Titans and looked comfortable as he got through two overs at 0/14, but the early wicket wasn't there.
Steyn would come back for a second spell and finish with figures of 0/33 from his four overs.
Richard Levi (27) and Hashim Amla (12) got the Cobras off to an opening stand of 39 before Amla was caught behind off Morris.
Levi then played a disgusting hack that went straight to mid-off off the bowling of Junior Dala to leave the Cobras at 44/2.
It still should have been the Cobras in charge at that stage, but when JP Duminy (3) was bowled by Dala and then Aviwe Mgijima (1) was stumped off the bowling of Tabraiz Shamsi, the Cobras were 53/4 after 10.3 overs.
Temba Bavuma became the key man for the hosts.
The Proteas Test star battled on and kept his side in the game, but the sizeable Newlands crowd went quiet when he edged Lungi Ngidi through to the keeper to be dismissed for 29 off 28.
It was left to Adams and Linde to get the job done, and Morris bowled the last over with the Cobras needing 10 for a memorable victory.
When Adams whipped the fifth ball of the over through square leg for four, the celebrations got underway.
