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Cape Town - The Cape Cobras earned a dramatic 106-run victory over the Diamond Eagles inside three days in their scheduled four-day SuperSport Series clash at Newlands on Saturday.
Set a victory target of 238 runs and with loads of time left, the Eagles failed to come to terms with the Cobras' attack of pace and spin and consequently surrendered after just 42 overs with their total at 131 all out.
The Cobras made 231 and 226 in their turns at the crease. The Eagles notched up 220 in their first innings before the paltry 131 they produced in their second.
In the morning session there had been no hint that the match would be wrapped up later on Saturday, but for the second successive day post-lunch play saw a batting collapse - although this time it was the Cobras' turn.
As a result of the Cobras' batting cave-in the Eagles were left with a relatively easy victory target of 238 with just over four sessions of play remaining.
The Cobras went to lunch at 198/5 after starting off the day at 120/4. The first session was marked by an undefeated century by opening batsman Alastair Gray who advanced his overnight score of 72 to 113 not out. His knock included 13 boundaries, one of which cleared the ropes, and was scored off 247 balls.
But when the Cobras resumed batting after lunch, disaster struck with the last ball of the first over when Gray was run out.
In the next three overs, as many Cobras wickets fell with Robin Peterson and Rory Kleinveldt removed from successive Dillon du Preez deliveries.
Three overs later Monde Zondeki perished and the Cobras innings closed at 226 all out, the last five wickets falling for 26 runs in the space of 7.1 overs. Eagles’ quickie Du Preez captured three of those five wickets and he signed off with 3/42.
On Friday the Eagles had suffered a similar fate in post-lunch play when they lost six wickets for the addition of 54 runs in 17 overs.
The Eagles made heavy weather of chasing down the target and took tea with their total at 63/2 after Kleinveldt and Peterson each claimed a wicket to make the breakthrough.
But the real drama was still to come in the final session as Cobras spinner Peterson and paceman Vernon Philander worked in tandem to cause havoc for the visitors.
In the space of 17 overs six Eagles wickets fell with Philander and Peterson sharing the bounty, bagging three sticks each, and the Eagles were reduced to 123/8, still requiring 115 runs for victory. Three of the Eagles wickets fell with the total stagnant at 122.
During this hectic passage of play the prized scalp was that of Rilee Rossouw who scored 67, including 10 fours, before Peterson intervened.
Peterson (5/60) and Philander (4/32) completed the devastation with a wicket each before the Eagles were bowled out.
The Cobras chalked up 16.62 points and the Eagles flew back to Bloemfontein with a mere 6.4 points under their belts.
Philander finished with a match analysis of 9/90 and his efforts allowed him a share of the Man-of-the-Match award with team-mate Gray.
Set a victory target of 238 runs and with loads of time left, the Eagles failed to come to terms with the Cobras' attack of pace and spin and consequently surrendered after just 42 overs with their total at 131 all out.
The Cobras made 231 and 226 in their turns at the crease. The Eagles notched up 220 in their first innings before the paltry 131 they produced in their second.
In the morning session there had been no hint that the match would be wrapped up later on Saturday, but for the second successive day post-lunch play saw a batting collapse - although this time it was the Cobras' turn.
As a result of the Cobras' batting cave-in the Eagles were left with a relatively easy victory target of 238 with just over four sessions of play remaining.
The Cobras went to lunch at 198/5 after starting off the day at 120/4. The first session was marked by an undefeated century by opening batsman Alastair Gray who advanced his overnight score of 72 to 113 not out. His knock included 13 boundaries, one of which cleared the ropes, and was scored off 247 balls.
But when the Cobras resumed batting after lunch, disaster struck with the last ball of the first over when Gray was run out.
In the next three overs, as many Cobras wickets fell with Robin Peterson and Rory Kleinveldt removed from successive Dillon du Preez deliveries.
Three overs later Monde Zondeki perished and the Cobras innings closed at 226 all out, the last five wickets falling for 26 runs in the space of 7.1 overs. Eagles’ quickie Du Preez captured three of those five wickets and he signed off with 3/42.
On Friday the Eagles had suffered a similar fate in post-lunch play when they lost six wickets for the addition of 54 runs in 17 overs.
The Eagles made heavy weather of chasing down the target and took tea with their total at 63/2 after Kleinveldt and Peterson each claimed a wicket to make the breakthrough.
But the real drama was still to come in the final session as Cobras spinner Peterson and paceman Vernon Philander worked in tandem to cause havoc for the visitors.
In the space of 17 overs six Eagles wickets fell with Philander and Peterson sharing the bounty, bagging three sticks each, and the Eagles were reduced to 123/8, still requiring 115 runs for victory. Three of the Eagles wickets fell with the total stagnant at 122.
During this hectic passage of play the prized scalp was that of Rilee Rossouw who scored 67, including 10 fours, before Peterson intervened.
Peterson (5/60) and Philander (4/32) completed the devastation with a wicket each before the Eagles were bowled out.
The Cobras chalked up 16.62 points and the Eagles flew back to Bloemfontein with a mere 6.4 points under their belts.
Philander finished with a match analysis of 9/90 and his efforts allowed him a share of the Man-of-the-Match award with team-mate Gray.
