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Gibbs smashed his way to 68 off 59 deliveries with seven fours and three sixes as the Cobras reached 243 for six in reply to the Lions' 241 all out with the home side securing victory with eight balls of their innings remaining.
The result leaves the Lions winless in this season’s tournament while the Cobras consolidated their second position.
Gibbs’s efforts rescued his team after they had stuttered to 98 for four but the 35-year-old served up a vintage innings that mixed the orthodox with the unorthodox.
The right-handed batsman, who was dropped with his score on 58, played some superb shots, none more so than when he skipped down the wicket to seamer Robbie Frylinck to deposit a delivery over the deep extra cover boundary for six.
Gibbs reached his half-century off 50 balls but, just as it looked as if he would lead his team to the win, he holed out to seamer Zander de Bruyn with Alviro Petersen taking the catch at a wide long-on.
Gibbs departed in the 31st over with the Cobras on 185 for six, in the 31st over, needing 56 runs to win.
Richard Levi and the left-handed debutant Neil Carter (30 not out) then combined for an unbroken stand worth 58 runs off 45 balls to steer the Cobras to what turned out to be a comfortable victory with Levi striking 34 not out off 22 deliveries.
The Cobras’ innings had been set up by a second-wicket partnership of 62 runs between Andrew Puttick (29) and Robin Peterson (40).
The Lions’ cause in the field was not helped by five dropped catches while the home side almost contributed to their own demise as they served up three run outs that had more to do with poor running than good fielding.
Earlier, a boundary-laden half-century from opening batsman Jonathan Vandiar helped the Lions to their final total.
The 19-year-old eventually fell for 59 off 54 deliveries with his knock including seven fours and a six.
The Lions were eventually bowled out with three balls of their innings remaining after the match was reduced to 39 overs per side after a ten-minute rain interruption shortly after the start of play.
The Gauteng-based franchise had raced to 149 for four in the 25th over but four wickets from speedster Francois Plaatjies effectively curbed the visitors’ scoring rate.
The ever-improving Plaatjies ended the innings with figures of four for 44 while there were two wickets apiece for swing bowler Charl Langeveldt and left-arm spinner Peterson.
Vandiar shared in a 73-run second-wicket partnership with Vaughn van Jaarsveld (21) that was ended when Van Jaarsveld edged a Plaatjies delivery through to keeper Andrew Puttick.
Petersen and Dane Vilas continued the good work with a fourth-wicket stand that produced 56 runs off just 46 balls with Vilas romping to 34 off 27 deliveries before he was caught at mid-off after being deceived by a delivery from Peterson.
Vilas’s dismissal heralded the start of the Lions’ batting woes as they lost four wickets for 57 runs with Petersen, who had complied a busy innings of 44 off 45 balls, being caught at point by Gibbs off a delivery from Plaatjies.
Teams:
Nashua Cape Cobras - Andrew Puttick (wk), Stiaan van Zyl, Herschelle Gibbs, Justin Ontong, Richard Levi, Justin Kemp (capt), Robin Petersen, Vernon Philander, Charl Langeveldt, Francois Plaatjies, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Neil Carter.
bizhub Highveld Lions - Alviro Petersen, Aaron Phangiso, Neil McKenzie (capt), Dane Vilas, Jonathan Vandiar, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Zander de Bruyn, Werner Coetsee, Thami Tsolekile (wk), Cliffie Deacon, Robbie Frylinck, Andre Nel.
