Title holders the Cape Cobras settled for a tied encounter with last season’s bottom feeders, the Knights, in their first T20
Challenge match of the season in Kimberley on Friday evening.
Chasing 182 runs to win, the Knights were on 119/5, still needing 62 runs from 42 balls, when rain disrupted play, eventually forcing the umpires to draw stumps as the match was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Knights openers Rilee Rossouw and Morne van Wyk smashed 18 runs off the first over as they set off chasing their mammoth target.
And while none of the home side’s batsmen managed to keep going, they all made useful starts in a solid team effort.
Rossouw thumped 29 from 12 deliveries, and though he was removed by Rory Kleinveldt as early as the third over, he laid the foundation.
Reeza Hendricks put on 29 off 18 deliveries to boost the middle order, but shortly after he fell, the rain came down with seven overs left.
Proteas pace bowler Vernon Philander returned 2/23, assisting in dismantling the Knights’ top order.
Earlier, the Cobras had got off to an explosive start, with openers Andrew Puttick and Stiaan van Zyl racing to an 83-run partnership off 53 balls.
Seam bowler Ryan McLaren broke the stand in the ninth over when he had Van Zyl caught by Dillon du Preez after the left-handed opener smashed 48 runs from 29 deliveries.
Puttick was removed by spinner Werner Coetsee with six overs left, contributing 51 runs from 42 balls for his sixth T20
half-century.
Former England international Owais Shah, who smashed 45 runs off 32 balls, carried the visitors‘ middle order, but he was bowled by Du Preez from the penultimate delivery of the innings.
Philander, replacing Shah at the crease, thumped the ball back over the bowler’s head for six from the last delivery as the hosts posted 181/4.
McLaren took 4/28 to lead the home side’s attack, and while they went on to put up a fight in their run chase, the Knights would have been satisfied with three points after failing to pick up a win last season. – Sapa