A partnership of 88 between Morne van Wyk and Dane Vilas gave the Dolphins a six-wicket win over the Knights in Bloemfontein.
Vilas contributed 51 off just 22 balls, with six sixes, while Van Wyk moved on to an unbeaten 70 off 43 (8×4, 1×6) when the Dolphins were 36-2 chasing 168 in a match reduced to 17 overs a side due to rain.
Robbie Frylinck added 27 off 14 balls to seal the win with three balls remaining.
The Knights owed their total to David Miller and Ryan McLaren, who smashed 85 runs off just 39 balls. They came together when the Knights were in a precarious position at 83-4 in the 11th over, but Miller blasted 46 off 23 (4×4, 3×6), with McLaren matching the strike rate of 200 with 48 off 24 (6×4, 1×6).
In Potchefstroom, the Warriors beat the Highveld Lions by four runs in another rain-hit match.
The Warriors had run up 133-7 when the rain came in the 18th over. When it abated, the Lions were given a target of 97 in 10 overs.
Only Reeza Hendricks, with 41 off 28, was up for the challenge.
The Warriors were in crisis mode coming into this match, needing to win the two remaining matches. They brought in Wayne Parnell on loan from the Cobras, and inserted him at the top of the order to give them a good start with his big hitting. That didn’t last long: stumped on the fourth ball of the day off Bjorn Fortuin.
Nevertheless, Jon-Jon Smuts and Colin Ingram put the Warriors in a good position at 41-1 at the end of the powerplay. The Lions then tightened up their bowling to the extent that only 19 runs were scored in the next four overs for the loss of two wickets: Ingram run out after a mix-up for 17 and Colin Ackermann bowled by Fortuin for three.
Smuts and Chritiaan Jonker tried desperately to rebuild the innings, with Smuts particularly aggressive. They put on 77 in seven overs, when Jonker was bowled by Wiaan Mulder for 30. At which point the rain came down.
Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
