A brilliant unbeaten 115 from Kevin Pietersen set up the Dolphins for a one-run win over the Highveld Lions in their Ram Slam T20 Challenge in Durban on Wednesday night.
He single-handedly rescued his side from a precarious 87-6 after they had been sent in to bat, taking them to 174-6 with a magnificent display which included 10 sixes and five fours off 66 balls.
His first fifty had come off 47 balls, but his second was off 13, and he ended his innings with four successive sixes off Dwaine Pretorius.
The Lions faced a run-rate of 8.75 and made a strong start with Rassie van der Dussen and Devon Conway putting on 40 in the first four overs. They went on to 58 after eight overs, when Van der Dussen was dismissed for 32.
Alviro Petersen took up the challenge and with some sharp running, another 77 runs were added in eight overs. Conway, though, departed in controversial circumstances, bowled by Kyle Abbott, who was suspiciously close to a no-ball. He had scored an excellent 63 off 46 (5×4, 2×6)
Still, the Lions were in with a chance, needing 23 off the last two overs, but a well controlled effort by Abbott and Andile Phehlukwayo held off a valiant effort. Petersen was unbeaten on 48 off 35, which included just two sixes, and Dwaine Pretorius 17 off 14.
Pietersen is contracted for just three more games with the Dolphins before he moves on to the Big Bash in Australia
