The Knights' win at Willowmoore Park was their fourth of the campaign and they hold a very comfortable lead at the top of the table, however, there is still quite a bit of cricket to be played before the final.

The Knights had a bat first and scored 279/9 in their allotted 50 overs.

The Proteas batter, Jacques Snyman, scored 109-runs before being run out. He hit eight fours and three sixes on the tricky wicket.

Patrick Botha in turn scored 61-runs for back-to-back fifties in the competition, while the debutant Matthew Pollard, scored a very happy 36 not out which included a six off the last ball of the innings.

The former North West Dragons player, Wesley Marshall, was the pick of the Easterns bowlers with 3/51 from his complement of 10-overs.

Another former Dragons player, Shaylen Pillay, played a very handy knock of 96 not out for Easterns, but other than 40-runs by Aron Visser, no other batter stepped up as they were bowled out for 223-runs in 46.4 overs.

Sithembile Langa set the tone with the ball for the Knights upfront and boasted with figures of 3/36 in 7 overs, while Pollard and Snyman each bagged two wickets.

Pollard will be very happy with his debut as he contributed in a big way with both the bat and ball.

The win sees the Knights move up to 17 points from their four games thus far and that's six point lead over the second placed Garden Route Badgers.

On Sunday, 8 October, the Knights will face the Eastern Cape Iinyathi at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein in their next One-Day Cup game.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport