WATCH: AB de Villiers' unbeaten 50 helps Titans open Ram Slam defence with victory

AB de Villiers and Albie Morkel smashed five sixes apiece in an unbeaten partnership of 85 off 31 balls as the Titans got the defence of their Ram Slam title underway with an eight-wicket DLS win over the Lions at Centurion.

Watch highlights of the match in the video at the top of the page as De Villers (50 off 19 balls) brought up the Titans' victory - and his unbeaten half-century - by hitting international team-mate Kagiso Rabada into the stands for back-to-back sixes.

The Titans took an early grip on proceedings, reducing the Lions to 0-2 with skipper Morkel (3-12) picking up the wickets of Rassie van der Dussen and Mangaliso Mosehle.

Morkel made a further breakthrough, dismissing Marques Ackerman for 10 as the Lions slipped to 18-3 in the third over but Reeza Hendricks provided some resistance for the hosts.

The opener - who hit eight fours and two sixes in his innings - put on 64 with Dwaine Pretorius (20) for the fourth wicket before the latter was caught by Farhaan Behardien off the bowling of David Wiese (1-25).

Live: Ram Slam T20 Challenge

Rain then halted proceedings meaning the game was reduced to 15 overs per side as the Lions - 102-5 from the 13 overs before the delay - added 25 runs from the final two overs to reach 127-6 at the interval with Hendricks carrying his bat to score 67 not out off 44 balls.

Quinton de Kock set about chasing down the Titans' revised target of 135, hitting back-to-back sixes in Pretorius' first over before being dismissed for 39 off 24 balls by Willem Mulder (2-28).

That brought Morkel (41 off 16 balls) to the crease, and alongside De Villers, the pair powered the visitors to a comfortable victory with 22 balls to spare.

The Ram Slam T20 Challenge action continues live on Sky Sports Cricket on Wednesday with the Titans back in action against the Knights (3.55pm, Sky Sports Cricket).