The power and pull of the Titans Bash is known by those who are in it, and no one knows better than Andrea Agathagelou, the player of the tournament last year.

"Before the 2017 Titans Bash, I wasn't even in the squad. I put up a few scores in the tournament, and that definitely helped to put my name out there in terms of white-ball cricket," the man they know as 'Aggers' explained.

"For young players, it is a wonderful opportunity to rub shoulders with players at the next level, and doing so in an awesome environment. I had such a blast playing for Pirates last year, and we took that enjoyment factor onto the park," he recalled.

Agathagelou's big Bash showing made him hot property at this year's auction, and he was snapped up in the first round of picks.

"Playing with Pirates last year was some of the most fun I have ever had on the cricket field. So I was really looking forward to doing that again, but I was picked up by a new team in the Nashua Phantoms," he explained.

"It is a new challenge for me, and also the chance to hopefully try and go on another good run, and perhaps go all the way with a new team."

The fun element of the Titans Bash is in no doubt, but there is also some very good cricket played. As the man who stood out last year emphasised, there is an even greater spread of quality in the 2018 edition.

"It is such a great initiative, and this year will be even better with so many Titans playing. We also have a few Proteas joining in, so that just adds to the quality of the event."

Agathagelou knows the value of a good showing this week, and he encouraged youngsters coming in for the first time to embrace the chance to impress.

"The cricket world is small. Doing well in the Bash can help you leapfrog your peers very suddenly, because you never know who is watching. It is also great for the Titans fraternity, because it is a very unique opportunity for emerging players to share a field and a dressing-room with established players," he enthused.

That element, of young and established, reinforces the Titans' tight family unit, and is perhaps one of the most pivotal elements of the Titans Bash. It is ferociously contested, but played in the knowledge that the franchise as a whole is the big winner this week.

The battle lines have been drawn, and friendships have been put on hold for a few days.

It is Titans Bash time.