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Cape Town - Fifties from Rassie van der Dussen and Dominic Hendricks allowed the Highveld Lions to lift themselves off the foot of the One-Day Cup table with a three-wicket win over the Cape Cobras at Boland Park in Paarl on Friday evening.
The defending champions displayed the winning pedigree that has been lacking from their campaign so far, with some clinical bowling displays up front before a pair of well-measured knocks from Van der Dussen and Hendricks.
They looked comfortable throughout the chase, but made it difficult for themselves towards the end, eventually only winning with a ball to spare.The Cobras were all at sea after they chose to bat first, as they were left reeling on 8-3 thanks to the new-ball efforts of spinner Bjorn Fortuin (2-32) and Carmi le Roux (2-56). But the middle-order responded emphatically.Justin Ontong and Dane Vilas (42) got to work with a well-manufactured 82-run stand, with Ontong pushing on to score a vital 80. Ontong found willing partners after the dismissal of Vilas, with Aviwe Mgijima (58) and Dane Piedt (42) carrying the side over the 200 mark.
The Lions lost their way somewhat during this phase, but Wiaan Mulder had a hand in all five of the remaining wickets, assisting with two run outs and finishing with figures of 3-50 to restrict the Cobras to 244.
The visitors were well set thanks to an industrious 42-run opening stand between Van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks (21), with the latter falling to the impressive Lizaad Williams, who finished with figures of 3-31, including three maidens.
Despite Williams's efforts, the rest of the bowling attack failed to come to the party as Van der Dussen and Dominic Hendricks took the sting out of the chase with a 106-run stand.
Van der Dussen was run out on 66, but Hendricks provided the stability with an excellent 91 off 108 balls. Mulder's 25 off 29 balls proved critical, and despite him falling in the penultimate over, Hendricks fittingly smashed a boundary off the second-last ball to see his side home. It was the Lions' second win of the season, while it was a third defeat in five for the inconsistent Cobras.
