Farhaan Behardien smashed 55 runs off just 15 balls to give the Titans top spot and a home final in the CSA T20 Challenge.

In an innings more akin to flat-bat baseball, he hammered four fours and fives sixes after rain restricted the top-of-the-table match against the Warriors to a five-over farce. His fifty came up off 14 balls, the fasted in the CSA Challenge’s history.

Yuvraj Singh holds the record for the fastest international fifty, off 12 balls, while Chris Gayle had a 12-ball blitz for the Melbourne Renegades. Behardien is the sixth batsman to pass the mark with 14.

With each bowler having just one over, they had to get it right, but Jon-Jon Smuts’ went for 24, Sisanda Magala for 27 and Kyle Abbott – playing his first game for his new franchise – for 18.

Behardien put on 73 runs for the third wicket with Heinrich Klaasen, who scored 17 off nine balls, to take Titans to a winning total.

The Warriors briefly looked up for the fight, standing at 53-1 after three overs on the back of Smuts’ 21 off nine and Colin Ingram on 19 off six and Christiaan Jonker 13 off 4. They needed just 28 off the last two, but David Wiese, who conceded just six runs and dismissed Ingram, and Malusi Siboto tightened up to stop the Warriors in their tracks.

The Titans can now look forward to a brief rest, until the final on Friday, while the Warriors will meet the Lions in the semi-final play-off on Tuesday.

The earned their place with a 22-run win over the hapless Cobras, successfully defending 139.

Warriors v Titans scorecard