Heino Kuhn hammered 96 as the Titans took a huge step in the race to the Sunfoil Series title on a rain-ravaged day.
With an eye on the sky, they ran up 204-3 against the Dolphins, while the Highveld Lions, who started the day just under four points behind the log leaders, spent the entire day on Thursday with the Knights watching the rain come down in Johannesburg.
With such tight margins and only three games left after this one, they know they cannot let up the pressure. They need at least to match the Titans all the way.
Only 50 overs were possible in Durban after the teams had waited for the outfield to dry, and the Titans saw the need to put their foot down. Although they lost Elgar (3) early, Kuhn powered on and found a willing partner in Grant Mokoena, who slammed a quick 50 off 66 balls (7×4, 1×6). They put on 93 in 23 overs and when Mokoena fell, Theunis de Bruyn was on hand to pick up the standard.
Last time out, Kuhn (151) and De Bruyn (150) had put on an unbeaten 254 to enable the Titans to crush the Knights, and a similar stand looked to be on the cards as they combined to add 84 in 21 overs. But, four runs short of his 19th first-class hundred Kuhn was trapped lbw by Daryn Dupavillon playing forward defensively. That was the signal for the umpires to call time, leaving De Bruyn on 41 off 65 balls.
In a bottom-of-the-table scrap in Paarl, things just got worse for the Warriors, who are without a win in six attempts.
They were skittled out for 217 in 66 overs by the Cape Cobras, with Yassen Vallie scoring 104 of that woeful offering. Colin Ackerman was the only other batsman to put up any resistance, scoring 42, as Dane Paterson and Dane Piedt combined well with pace and spin to grab four wickets each.
At the close, the Cobras were 57-1, with Omphile Ramela on 25 and Simon Khomari 23.
