Johannesburg - Mangaliso Mosehle recorded his maiden career century and Dominic Hendricks also hit a century before an improved batting performance from the Titans ensured they earned a draw with the Highveld Lions in their Sunfoil Series derby that ended in Benoni on Sunday.
The pair, who resumed on 223/5, shared a stand of 163 for the sixth wicket that helped the Lions set 405 for victory. Wicketkeeper Mosehle made exactly 100. His previous best first-class score was 99.
Captain Hendricks, meanwhile, hit his 10th career ton, an unbeaten 103 that allowed the Lions to declare their second innings on 308/6. The defending champion Titans looked far more assured batting second time around after they were restricted to 251 in their first innings.
Led by Aiden Markram’s half-century, they eventually ended on 143/2 in the 50 overs they faced before the match was ended at tea. Rookie Markram made a resilient 53 and shared an opening stand of 70 with Heino Kuhn (40), while Grant Mokoena hit an unbeaten 36.
Despite the draw, the Titans did surrender top spot on the table. The 6.02 points they took gave them a total of 70.76, just over a point less than new leaders the Dolphins (71.87). The Lions remained fifth on 61.60 points with all six teams still in contention for the title with three rounds remaining.
Meanwhile, career-best efforts from Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Senuran Muthusamy highlighted the final day of the clash between the Dolphins and Knights as their clash ended in an inevitable draw in Kimberley.
There were also maiden career wickets for wicketkeeper Rudi Second, one of 10 bowlers used, as the visitors replied with 538/7 declared to the hosts' 487/7 declared in a clash that was effectively a three-day encounter after day one was abandoned.
On what turned out to be a flat track at the Diamond Oval, Van Jaarsveld recorded his first career double century and the second of the season when he struck a blistering 203.
The left-hander also shared in an all-time team record partnership of 355 for the second wicket - a season-high for all wickets - with Muthusamy, who made 181, his sixth career ton. The 22-year-old was playing in just his seventh game at this level, but did have a previous best first-class score of 145.
Their efforts were nonetheless well short of the overall record second-wicket stand in South African domestic cricket, which is 480 between Dean Elgar and Rilee Rossouw for the Eagles against the Titans in the 2009/10 season.
Both Van Jaarsveld and Muthusamy were dismissed by part-timer Theunis de Bruyn (2/35), while Second claimed his first career wickets by taking 4/25 with his right-arm off-break - the best return amongst the bowlers.
David Miller also bowled four overs for 19. The Dolphins walked away with 8.07 points to move ahead of the Titans, while the Knights stayed third with 66.98.