The Warriors fell eight runs short of what would have been a remarkable victory over the Knights, and which would have consolidated their position at the top of the Sunfoil table.
Ryan McLaren, particularly, held his nerve at the death, conceding just 10 runs from his last three overs as the Warriors edged towards the target of 256, set when the Knights declared their second innings at 248-8.
It would have been the third win of the series for the Warriors, or the second for the Knights had they taken those last two wickets before time ran out.
The Warriors had set off on the chase with determination, with Eddie Moore leading the charge, putting on 80 in 16 overs with Gihahn Cloete, and then stretching it to 153 in the company of Jon-Jon Smuts (41). Moore had scored 73 off 101 balls, with 12 fours when he became Werner Coetsee’s second victim, after Cloete.
That wicket started the collapse, which saw the Warriors lose six wickets for 32 runs, with Coetsee taking four of them. Duanne Olivier and McLaren pitched in with one apiece as the Warriors plunged to 185-7.
Simon Harmer played a measured innings, maintaining a sensible rate without due risk, but the loss of Sisanda Magala, which gave Coetsee his sixth wicket of the innings, was probably the nail in the coffin.
Earlier, Harmer had picked up three wickets, mixing spin with the pace of Anrich Nortje (4-57) as the Knights drove on to 248-8 at a run rate of 4.22 an over.
Patrick Kruger was the mainstay of that, with a brilliant 87 off 107, including 15 fours, with dynamic contributions from Grant Mokoena (38 off 36) and David Miller (35 off 60).
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
