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Durban - Morne van Wyk struck a measured half-century that helped the Knights edge closer towards a T20 Challenge playoff spot, with an eight-run victory on the Duckworth/Lewis method over the Dolphins in Durban on Wednesday.
The visiting skipper made 58 from 53 balls to help his side post an average 130 for nine on a slow wicket at Kingsmead, with Prenelan Subrayen and Imraan Khan both impressing with the ball.
The captain ended with career-best figures of four for 21, while debutant Subrayen finished with 2/13.
In reply, the Dolphins started slowly but then picked up thanks to Cameron Delport (36 off 32), before the rain arrived with 6.1 overs remaining, to deny the hosts and all but end their interest in the competition.
The Knights began the game brightly and after winning the toss and batting first, Van Wyk and Rilee Rossouw put on 43 for the first wicket in just 4.2 overs.
It took a stunning catch by Delport at midwicket to get rid of the latter for 17 -- the fielder snatching a blazing pull shot -- with Kyle Abbott the bowler.
Reeza Hendricks (11) brought up the 50 in the sixth over with a six over deep extra cover, but he became the first of Khan’s victims by needlessly flicking to Robbie Frylinck at short third man.
Delport removed Ryan Bailey for two when he was caught at long-on by Frylinck, but the bowler then failed to hold on to a routine caught and bowled chance by new man Obus Pienaar in the same over.
Slow bowler Subrayen then struck twice by removing Pienaar (five) and Werner Coetsee (six) either side of Van Wyk reaching his 50 in 40 balls and the Knights getting to 100 in the 15th over.
But the skipper, Johan van der Wath (six), who struck the first boundary in over 10 overs towards the end, Aubrey Swanepoel (four) and Ryan McLaren (eight) all fell cheaply as the Knights fell away to reach 131.
The Dolphins looked like they were not going to get there at the start when they battled to come to terms with what was an unusually slow wicket in Durban.
Khan (14) and Loots Bosman (five) were out with only 32 on the board and 7.3 overs eaten up as McLaren and Coetsee struck early on.
The Dolphins reached 50 in the 11th over, but then lost another wicket when Jandre Coetzee (2/13) bowled Cody Chetty for five.
In his next over, the left-armer cleaned up Delport just as the rain came with the Knights going on to clinch the win.
