Cricket
Cobras claim bonus point win against the Knights─── 09:40 Mon, 13 Oct 2014
Shaheen Khan and Andrew Puttick played starring roles as the Cape Cobras opened their Momentum One-Day Cup campaign with a bonus-point win over the Chevrolet Knights at the Diamond Oval on Saturday.
After Khan’s 4 for 38 had helped bowl the Knights out for a lowly 162, Puttick breezed to an unbeaten 89 to see the Cobras to victory in just 33.4 overs.
The game’s direction was clear from the first two overs of the afternoon, when the Knights sank to seven for three as Rory Kleinveldt (3 for 28) began the match with a double-wicket maiden and Khan also struck in his first over.
With the top three back in the hut so early it was going to take a heroic comeback - most likely from senior batsman Rilee Rossouw.
Although the left-hander dug his side out of trouble with a classy 57, sharing an 86-run stand with Rudi Second either side of a brief rain delay, that was not enough to see the hosts back into contention - particularly when they collapsed again.
Rossouw’s dismissal was followed by Zakhele Qwabe’s double strike in the next over as the Knights went from 93 for three to 93 for six in the 21st over.
The match had been reduced to 48 overs per side by the rain delay, but the Knights only made it as far as 41 as Khan swept through the tail, claiming three of the last four wickets.
While there was a brief glimmer of hope for the Knights when they had the Cobras 62 for three, Justin Ontong joined Puttick and the pair put on an unbroken 101 to see the Cobras home.
The visitors needed to chase down their target in 34 overs or less to clinch the bonus point, which they did quite comfortably as Ontong finished unbeaten on 47.
