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Knights have Cobras' respect

Cape Town - After a luckless start to the One-Day Cup, the Knights are relishing their new-found status as the happy-go-lucky side of the competition as they prepare to meet the Cape Cobras at Newlands on Friday.

The Knights lost their opening games narrowly and had won just once prior to Wednesday, when they came back from the dead to inflict an unexpected defeat on the previously unbeaten Dolphins.

"Games like that don’t happen too often so we need to enjoy the feeling of winning," reflected Knights captain Johan van der Wath.

"It was a crazy game - we were dead and buried so it was just one of those that we stole."

Key to the turnaround was the manner in which Dillon du Preez and Quinton Friend went about their batting after coming together with the Knights on 141 for eight with 91 runs still required, and Van der Wath hopes to see more of that attitude in the remaining games.

"We got off to a poor start to the season, so at this stage we’ve got nothing to lose and we may as well play positive cricket," he said.

It’s an approach that can wreck havoc on even the best sides, as Cobras coach Paul Adams knows.

"They always have that dangerous capability and I think they might have just been unlucky that this season they’ve been on the wrong side of some close games," he said.

"They’re a never-say-die side who will go until the end.”

The Cobras came through a low-scoring scrap on Wednesday night to take top spot in the standings and, with rain in Cape Town on Wednesday and Thursday, Adams expects that Friday’s game could be another tricky one for the batsmen.

"The pitch has been under covers for two days now so if we get on the park then I think it will be another tough surface to bat on."

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