Johannesburg - Pacemen Beuran Hendricks and Johann Louw spearheaded an early assault on the Knights top order as the Cape Cobras coasted to their first win of the T20 Challenge in Paarl on Friday night.
Hendricks took two for 16 and Louw grabbed two for 28, restricting the Cobras, who were chasing 172 runs for victory, to 38 for five after 10 overs.
The visiting side's lower order, led by all-rounder Ryan McLaren and big-hitting skipper Johan van der Wath, put up a strong fight, but they were left too much to do as the hosts secured a 25-run win.
McLaren contributed 51 runs off 38 balls, as the duo blasted their way to a 63-run partnership for the seventh wicket from only 29 deliveries. He was eventually removed in the penultimate over by former Proteas seam bowler Charl Langeveldt who bagged two for 25.
Van der Wath fell three balls later when he holed out to Cobras captain Justin Ontong for a magnificent 46 off 22 deliveries.
Spinner Dane Piedt pocketed the other two wickets for the cost of 34 runs.
The Cobras had earlier been held up by a solid top-order performance, recovering from an early wobble after opener Stiaan van Zyl was removed by McLaren, who took two for 27, in the third over.
Richard Levi, who made 38 runs, and Dane Vilas, who hit 48, shared 58 runs for the second wicket before Levi was bowled by veteran paceman Van der Wath midway through the innings.
Vilas then paired up with Owais Shah in a 54-run third-wicket stand, and was eventually caught by Nicky Boje off a Malusi Siboto delivery in the 16th over.
Shah went on to smash an unbeaten 44 from 31 deliveries, with Ontong adding a quickfire 20 not out off six balls to stretch the visiting side's target. - Sapa