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Potchefstroom - Lions bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe took two wickets in the final over to help his side hold on for a one run win over the Titans in their Ram Slam T20 Challenge match in Potchefstroom on Friday.
Needing 15 to win off the last over chasing 180 for victory, the Titans came within a whisker of a victory that had seemed unlikely early in their innings.
Heino Kuhn who was unbeaten on 69 from 57 balls for the Titans, hit the first ball of the over for four, but David Wiese was out for 25 from 12 balls off the fourth ball leaving the visitors eight to win off two.
In came West Indian Darren Sammy and he slapped the Proteas bowler over mid-wicket for six.
But needing just two to win off the final delivery, Tsotsobe got his man as Sammy drove the ball straight to a grateful Neil McKenzie at cover as the Lions secured the narrowest of victories.
With the win, the Lions remained in second place on the log three points adrift of the table-topping Cobras as they secured a bonus-point win against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth.
The Titans got their run chase off to a good start, with Henry Davids (25) and Kuhn moving the score to 63 for no wicket in the ninth over.
Eddie Leie made the breakthrough for the Lions as he had Davids stumped, and in his next over removed Titans batsman Graeme van Buuren for one.
Qaasim Adams was then run out first ball as the Titans fell to 70 for three after 10.2 overs as the Lions completed a triple-strike.
Earlier, Rassie van der Dussen scored an unbeaten 101 from 61 balls to lift the Lions to 179 for three in their innings.
Coming in for Proteas Test opener Alviro Petersen, Van der Dussen filled his role to perfection striking eight sixes and two fours.
It was just the second century of the competition, after Chris Gayle's 108 not out against the Warriors in the early stages of the tournament.
The Lions on this occasion, lost Gayle (8) early and Temba Bavuma was run out for one in the next over to leave the Lions 16 for two in the fourth over.
But, veteran Lions skipper McKenzie (47) joined Van der Dussen at the wicket and the pair shared in a 117 run partnership as the hosts posted a formidable total.
