The change of format brought no relief to the struggling Cobras as they went down by 38 runs to the Knights in the opening CSA T20 Challenge match at the Wanderers.
They were bowled out for 146, chasing the formidable target of 185 after they put the Knights in to bat.
The batsman of the match was Patrick Kruger, one of the stand-out hitters of the Africa T20 Cup, who continued to enhance his reputation with a brilliant 74 off 49 balls, with seven fours and four sixes.
He then followed that by dismissing the dangerous West Indian Kieron Polland (5) and Keegan Petersen (39) in his first over of medium pace, which undermined the Cobras middle order.
Opening the batting, the 21-year-old and Rudi Second slammed 47 runs in the powerplay, and despite two wickets going down in two overs, Second (21) and David Miller (1), he maintained the momentum. He was eventually dismissed, driving forcefully to give young Jason Smith his second wicket, but by that stage, the Knights were 150-4 in the 16th over.
Despite some flamboyant play from Diego Rosier (27 off 12) and Marchant de Lange (22 off 10), both dismissed by Paterson (3-40), the Cobras took wickets regularly, and may feel they had done well to restrict the Knights to 184-8.
In contrast, the Cobras were three down for 32, and 18 of those had come from one Dillon du Preez over in which Levi struck 14 runs off three balls.
The pace of De Lange did for Levi after he had hammered 25 off 16 balls.
The Cobras, still without a win in the Sunfoil series, could not get going, and whatever hope they had disappeared when Kruger stepped up to take the two quick wickets and leave the Cobras floundering at 88-6 after 12 overs.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
