Bloemfontein - Reeza Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw have notched up their second successive century stand to give the Knights their first victory of the RAM SLAM T20 tournament as they beat the Highveld Lions by nine wickets at Chevrolet Park.
Hendricks and Rossouw put on 104 for the first wicket in Friday’s defeat to the Sunfoil Dolphins, but were not to be denied on Sunday as their 134-run stand set the Knights on their way to a very comfortable victory.
If there was any disappointment involved for the home side, it was that they did not push harder for what would have been a very handy bonus point after three defeats on the trot.
At one stage the Knights required 36 from three overs for the bonus point with all their wickets intact, but opted not to force the issue.
Dean Elgar ultimately hit the winning runs off the fourth ball of the penultimate over, leaving Hendricks unbeaten on 69 from 53 balls and top of the run-scoring charts in the RAM SLAM T20 competition.
Although Hendricks is not part of South Africa’s provisional squad for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, Rossouw is and he gave his prospects a further boost by scoring 72 from 53 deliveries.
Both batsmen relied on sweet timing and showed a good range of attacking strokes as they made light work of the Lions’ total of 151 for four.
Quinton de Kock’s breezy 71 from 54 balls was the only score of note from the visitors, who lacked firepower in the middle order.
Gulam Bodi, Neil McKenzie and Azhar Mahmood all scored more than 20, but were unable to do so at a strike rate that injected the necessary venom into the innings.
The Lions remain pointless and bottom of the table but have played two games less than the Knights, who finally have four points at the fourth attempt.
Hendricks and Rossouw put on 104 for the first wicket in Friday’s defeat to the Sunfoil Dolphins, but were not to be denied on Sunday as their 134-run stand set the Knights on their way to a very comfortable victory.
If there was any disappointment involved for the home side, it was that they did not push harder for what would have been a very handy bonus point after three defeats on the trot.
At one stage the Knights required 36 from three overs for the bonus point with all their wickets intact, but opted not to force the issue.
Dean Elgar ultimately hit the winning runs off the fourth ball of the penultimate over, leaving Hendricks unbeaten on 69 from 53 balls and top of the run-scoring charts in the RAM SLAM T20 competition.
Although Hendricks is not part of South Africa’s provisional squad for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, Rossouw is and he gave his prospects a further boost by scoring 72 from 53 deliveries.
Both batsmen relied on sweet timing and showed a good range of attacking strokes as they made light work of the Lions’ total of 151 for four.
Quinton de Kock’s breezy 71 from 54 balls was the only score of note from the visitors, who lacked firepower in the middle order.
Gulam Bodi, Neil McKenzie and Azhar Mahmood all scored more than 20, but were unable to do so at a strike rate that injected the necessary venom into the innings.
The Lions remain pointless and bottom of the table but have played two games less than the Knights, who finally have four points at the fourth attempt.