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Cobras perish in snake pit

Paarl - The Highveld Lions romped to an 80-run win over the Cobras in an MTN40 clash in Paarl on Friday.

The hosts were bowled out in the 35th over for 107 runs, chasing 188 for victory. After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the Lions had made 187 for seven.

The Cobras' chase started disastrously as makeshift openers Stiaan van Zyl and Alistair Gray battled to score a run in the first two overs.

The pair were standing in for regular openers Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Puttick, both of whom were laid low by chest infections.

Gray was the first to make his way back to the pavilion in the seventh over, and the Cobras lost wickets at a steady pace as they struggled to come to terms with the unevenly-paced wicket.

Only skipper Justin Kemp managed to pass the 20-run mark and the entire Cobras line-up hit no more than five boundaries.

Lions spinner Aaron Phangiso claimed three for 34 from seven overs, while Paul Harris (two for 18) and Ethan O'Reilly (two for 12) helped to smother the Cobras' batting efforts.

Earlier, Neil McKenzie held the Lions innings together with a solid 56 off 100 balls including only one boundary..

However, he arrived at the crease in the fourth over when the side's innings was tottering at eight for two after the Cobras new-ball pair, Rory Kleinveldt and Vernon Philander, had each snagged a stick in the space of six balls.

McKenzie's stability helped to put the break on the rampant Cobras attack, particularly after Monde Zondeki snatched two wickets in the 13th over with consecutive balls to reduce the Lions to 36 for four.

Thami Tsolekile (38 off 39) also offered a measure of defiance and together with McKenzie they added 65 runs for sixth wicket before Kleinveldt intervened by removing Tsolekile.

The Lions pair, however, had provided the platform for Robert Frylinck to lay into the Cobras attack towards the end of the innings and he did so in spectacular fashion with three sixes and a four en route to an unbeaten 32 off 20 balls.

Zondeki (two for 37) and Kleinveldt (two for 27) were the pick of the Cobras bowlers.

Scoreboard:

Toss: Lions

Lions innings

S Cook lbw b Philander 7

A Petersen b Kleinveldt 0

R Cameron b Zondeki 19

N McKenzie run out (Philander/Canning) 56

Z De Bruyn c Canning b Zondeki 0

T Bavuma c and b Henderson 22

T Tsolekile b Klienveldt 38

R Frylinck not out 32

W Coetzee not out 6

Extras (3 lb, 4 w) 7

Total (for 7 wkts) 187 -- 40 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-8, 3-36, 4-36, 5-80, 6-143 , 7-151

Bowling: Kleinveldt 8-2-27-2 (1w), Philander 8-0-30-1 (1w), Louw 8-0-54-1 (1w), Zondeki 8-0-37-2 (1w), Henderson 8-0-36-1

Cobras innings

S van Zyl c Harris b de Wet 6

A Gray lbw b O'Reilly 11

O Shah lbw b O'Reilly 4

J Ontong b Harris 13

J Kemp lbw b Phangiso 22

R Levi lbw b Harris 9

R Canning lbw b Harris 6

V Philander st Tsolekile b Coetsee 17

J Louw c Frylinck b Phangiso 3

R Kleinveldt run out (Frylinck) 10

D Piedt not out 0

Extras (6 w) 6

Total (all out) 107-- 34.3 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-23, 3-23, 4-51, 5-68, 6-70, 7-78 , 8-85, 9-107, 10-107

Bowling: O'Reilly 6-1-12-2 (2w), De Wet 6-1-18-1 (1w), Frylinck 4-1-14-0, Harris 8-0-18-2, De Bruyn 2-0-10-0 (1w), Phangiso 7-0-34-3 (2w), Coetzee 1.3-0-1-1

Result: Lions win by 80 runs

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