Second leads Knights to opening win

Rudi Second made a half-century as the VKB Knights thumped the Warriors by five wickets in their Momentum One-Day Challenge match at Buffalo Park in East London on Friday.

Full Scorecard

Chasing a mere 122 to win, the Knights got over some early jitters to eventually cruise to their first victory of the campaign.

Batting at No 5, Second formed the backbone of the chase scoring 71 not out to ensure his team got the job done with a massive 124 balls to spare.

And the Knights needed someone to steady their ship because at 13 for three and then 55 for five, the Warriors had givem themselves a sniff of pulling off an unlikely upset.

Lutho Sipamla picked up the first wicket as Basheer Walters took a fantastic running and diving catch to his left at long leg to dismiss Patrick Kruger for a single.

His fellow opener Andries Gous followed in the next over for same score, bowled by Andrew Birch, who then trapped Keegan Petersen (6) in front of his wicket a few deliveries later.

And when Sisanda Magala took two wickets in consecutive deliveries in removing captain Pite van Biljon (18) and Grant Mokoena (1), the Knights were wobbling.

But Ryan McLaren (18 not out) got the job done with Second, who struck 10 fours off 70 balls, as the pair shared an unbeaten partnership of 67 for the sixth wicket.

Earlier, Marco Marais fought a lone crusade as the Warriors were shot out for a paltry 121 in only 26.1 overs.

Marais hit four sixes and a four in making 42 off 36 balls in a counter-attacking innings but the remainder of the Warriors batting was a tale of woe. Ottniel Baartman and Marchant de Lange took three wickets each while Ryan McLaren claimed two to rout the second-placed Warriors.

After winning toss and opting to bowl, there was immediate assistance in the air for the Knights’ bowling attack. De Lange and Baartman were impressive up front and bowled with great discipline and control.

By contrast, the Warriors, who at one stage not so long ago led the log standings, appeared to have very little stomach for the fight with bat in hand.

There was a serious lack of application by their top order as the one followed the other back to the dressingroom.

But middle-order batsman Marias was never in trouble and showed his teammates how to bat on what was a decent surface.

He was eventually out, bowled by Mbulelo Budaza after having struck the seamer for three consecutive sixes early in the over.

WARRIORS: Eddie Moore, Yaseen Vallie, Lesiba Ngoepe, Jon-Jon Smuts (capt), Sinethemba Qeshile (wk), Marco Marais, Thomas Kaber, Andrew Birch, Sisanda Magala, Lutho Sipamla, Basheer Walters

KNIGHTS: Patrick Kruger, Andries Gous, Keegan Petersen, Pite van Biljon (capt), Rudi Second (wk), Grant Mokoena, Ryan McLaren, Marchant de Lange, Eddie Leie, Ottniel Baartman, Mbulelo Budaza