Massive win for Knights

The fourth-placed Knights upstaged the third-placed Warriors with a massive 284-run win on the third day of their Four-Day Domestic Series match in Kimberley yesterday.

The Knights, who led by 159 runs on first innings, began the day on 206 for four and Keegan Petersen completed a tremendously freeflowing 103 not out and Andries Gous made 67 not out as the home side reached 330 for four and then declared.

The Warriors were then faced with an improbable victory target of 490, but they started well as Gihahn Cloete (45), Ed Moore (60) and Colin Ackermann (27) took them to 145 for one.

But then Ryan McLaren sparked a slide to 158 for five, before returning to break a 35-run partnership between Jon-Jon Smuts (20) and Simon Harmer (23).

And then the end came quickly for the Warriors as they lost their last five wickets for just 12 runs, slumping to 205 all out as McLaren took four for 42 and fellow paceman Duanne Olivier three for 23.

In Paarl, the log-leading Cape Cobras are trying to bat out the draw against the Highveld Lions, who set them a target of 433 to win, but more importantly, more than 162 overs to survive.

Opening batsman Pieter Malan used all his powers of concentration and great skill to reach stumps on 95 not out, after more than four hours of batting as he shepherded the Cobras to 186 for five at stumps.

He received able assistance from Jason Smith, the young all-rounder reaching the close on 59 not out after spinners Bjorn Fortuin (18-6-37-3) and Aaron Phangiso (17-3-49-2) had ripped through the top-order to reduce the hosts to 75 for five.

The Lions began the day on 104 for four in their second innings and managed to get to 233 all out.