Modise Maloka struck a pulsating unbeaten 47 to lead the Garden Route Badgers to a three-wicket win over the Momentum Multiply Titans in their YesPlay Pro20 Cup Super 8 clash at Recreation Ground in Banstead on Thursday afternoon.
The toss went Donovan Ferreira's way and the Titans captain elected to bat first.
His side stuttered a few times before getting to 157-6 in 20 overs. The Badgers ensured that they were as close to the required run rate as possible, before accelerating to 158-7 in 18.3 overs.
Maloka arrived at the crease in the 10th over to replace Janneman Malan, who was dislodged after scoring a useful 43 from 28 balls.
The former Proteas star cobbled a solid 74-run opening partnership with Yaseen Valli (28).
The No 3 batter had barely settled in the middle when the Badgers lost a cluster of wickets.
They lost five wickets for 51 runs over the next five overs. However, Maloka kept his wits about him throughout. He bid his time, before racing to a 27-ball 47.
TITANS WASTE BRILLIANT START
Earlier in the day, the Titans squandered a brilliant start provided to them by Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
The left-hander, who accepted the green cap for the most runs in the tournament before the match, gave the visitors a blistering start.
The left-hander was watchful in the first over before unleashing his stroke play on the home side. He struck five fours and three sixes for his 20-ball 44 in his 3.5-over stay at the crease.
After Pretorius's dismissal, Titans lost five wickets for 37 runs in 7.3 overs.
Of those five, only two batters, Leus du Plooy (14) and Rivaldo Moonsamy (11) reached double figures.
Dayyaan Galiem and Duan Jansen rescued the visitors' innings with an unbroken 62-run seventh-wicket partnership that dug the Titans out of a hole and shepherded them to a competitive total.
Galiem ended his innings with an unbeaten 33 from 21 balls, while Jansen was not out on 27 from 21 deliveries.
Regan Rhode was the Badgers' most successful bowler with three wickets for 17 runs in four overs.
He had support from Zack Momberg, who captured a brace of wickets, while Leo Sadler chimed in with a single dismissal to his name.
This is the Badgers' first win of the Super 8. It leaves them in seventh-place with four points from four outings.
The Titans, on the other hand, are in third place with two wins and two losses in four Super 8 contests.