It was the Knights debutants in particular who shined with the ball, with the young seamer Gerald Coetzee and the seasoned spinner, Shaun von Berg, making an immediate impact.

The Knights needed five wickets for the win on day four of the match, and that took them just 20 overs to get.

A captain’s knock of 95 by Pite van Biljon and 84 by last season’ player of the year, Keegan Petersen, saw the Knights declared their second innings on 332/6. This left the team from the Eastern Cape with a target of 428 –runs for the win.

Outstanding bowling saw the Warriors castled for a mere 180 runs as the match ended early on day four.

Coetzee bagged 4/53 in the second innings to add to the two in the first innings for a match haul of six scalps. Von Berg, who took four wickets in the first innings claimed another two, and this also saw him also record a six-wicket haul for the match.

The tall and lanky left-arm seamer, Marco Jansen, who was also in debut for the Knights, also showed his worth in the game with three wickets of his own, will also scoring 41 runs.

The Knights' next match will be in Bloemfontein when they host the Dolphins at the Mangaung Oval as from Monday. The fact that the former Knights stalwart, Quinton Friend, now plies his trade at the Dolphins as the bowling coach could make things in the City of Roses very interesting indeed.

On the flip side of the coin, the Knights bowling attack does boast with the services of the Proteas great, Alan Donald.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport