Trio of Makhanya, Bosch, Brand 50s set stiff target for Lions in 1-Day Cup final

Fifties from captain Sibonelo Makhanya, Neil Brand and Corbin Bosch helped the Titans reach 318/6 in their 50 overs in the 1-Day Cup final clash against the Lions at SuperSport Park on Wednesday.

The Titans' innings promised much more, especially with Theunis de Bruyn (40) and the tournament's top run-scorer in Heinrich Klaasen (34) having starts.

Them not converting meant the Titans were kept relatively quiet batting first, but this came at the hands of the canniest bowling attack in the tournament.

That said, while Makhanya correctly chose to bat first, the SuperSport Park pitch was a shade slower than normal and the ball didn't come onto the bat.

They still crossed 300 despite the slowness of the surface, ensuring they've crossed the mark each time they've batted first this season in completed matches.

The tardiness in the pitch was evident with the Lions opening with left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin (1/31) who claimed the scalp of opener Gihahn Cloete (2) to leave the Titans 12/1 at the start of the third over.

De Bruyn and Brand (73) stitched together an energetic 69-run stand for the second wicket, but De Bruyn was defeated by his ambition when he hooked a Tladi Bokako (1/36) short ball to Shane Dadswell at deep fine-leg. 

Brand and Klaasen moved the game along well with a 78-run stand for the third wicket, but the slow devilry of the pitch paraded itself when Brand was bowled by a Reeza Hendricks (1/26) delivery that kept low.

154/4 then became 162/5 as Klaasen and Donavon Ferreira (3) fell to Codi Yusuf (3/59), but Makhanya (60) and Corbin Bosch drove the game forward.

Their 82-run partnership accelerated the Titans' charge forward, with Makhanya's 50 coming off just 30 balls. He picked out Hendricks at mid-wicket off