Knights win their first battle

Johannesburg - The newly named Chevrolet Knights got off to the best possible start by beating the Dolphins by 128 runs in their season opening match in the SuperSport-series at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley on Sunday.

The Dolphins needed 381 runs in their second innings to achieve victory and was restricted to 252. The visitors needed 271 runs for victory and the Knights ten wickets on the final day.

Ryan McLaren was named man of the match for his performance. He scored 68 runs in the Knights' first innings. He removed the danger men Loots Bosman, Hashim and Ahmed Amla for figures of 3/70 in the Dolphins first innings.

McLaren bagged his 11th five wicket haul of his first class career in the second innings. He got rid of five batsmen for 35 runs.

The Dolphins were struggling at 39/4 early in the day with McLaren picking up three of the wickets. He dismissed Bosman (4) by trapping him leg before and Hashim Amla was caught by Dippenaar in the slips.

Imraan Khan, captain of the Dolphins, was also caught in the slips by Reeza Hendricks off the bowling of McLaren.

Daryn Smit (101) and Ahmed Amla (49) then combined for a valuable 61-run partnership keeping their team’s hope alive to save the match. Amla was caught by Rilee Rossouw off the bowling of Obus Pienaar (2/72) before reaching his half-century.

Smit who recorded only his second first class century then also resisted the Knights onslaught with Jon Kent (59). They shared a 117-run partnership for the 6th wicket.

Smit faced 209 deliveries in the five hours and nine minutes he spent at the crease including 15 fours. He also top scored for the visitors in their first innings with 47 runs.

The new ball however did the trick with Kent being caught at gully by Rossouw off McLaren’s bowling after reaching his 23rd half-century of his first class career.

Victor Mpitsang (1/31) also joined in the action from the other end by removing Stuart Abbott (1) with Hendricks taking the catch at first slip. In the next over McLaren and Hendricks at first slip combined to remove Quinton Friend (0) from the crease. Rossouw took another catch at gully when Dillon du Preez (2/27) got rid of Smit.

The last wicket to fall was Imraan Tahir (12). He was caught by Du Preez off Pienaar’s bowling. Mpitsang kept the Dolphins to 167 in the first innings with the best bowling figures of 6/30 of his first class career.

The Dolphins replied to the Knights’ 407 with captain Morn van Wyk (97) top scoring. The Knights declared their second innings on 140/5.