Cape Town - Colin Ackermann shot to the top of the Sunfoil Series scoring charts thanks to a fine century as the Warriors heaped more misery on defending champions the Titans on the penultimate day of their final round clash at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Saturday.
Having to play with the news that they had surrendered the competition crown to the Knights, who comprehensively dispatched the Highveld Lions at the start of the day, the hosts were put through further pain by Ackermann.
The right-hander struck 150 (296 balls, 13 fours) to ensure his side fought back strongly to reach 354 all out in their second innings and set the Titans a stiff last day target of 315.
By the close, however, the home side had cut that margin to 266 after reaching stumps on 49/0.
Shaun von Berg did offer one big bright spot on a gloomy day for the Titans after he claimed an excellent 6/144 to keep his side in the game. The burly leg-break bowler, who ended with 10/203 in the match to go with his scintillating day two century, received good support from rookie fast bowler Alfred Mothoa (3/57).
But there was little both could do to dislodge Ackermann for most of the day as the Warriors’ star took his aggregate for the season to 883 runs at the summit of the run-scoring charts – a position he was unlikely to vacate.
The Eastern Cape franchise had been in trouble at one stage at 199/6, but a record stand of 137 for the seventh wicket against the same opponents with Simon Harmer (60 off 118 balls, 5 fours) turned the tables and gave the away side a chance to pull off victory.