Ken Borland

The Knights showed greater staying power than the Warriors as they beat them by 10 wickets on the fourth and final day of their Sunfoil Series match at Chevrolet Park in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

The Warriors collapsed to 197 all out in their second innings on Sunday, leaving the Knights with a target of just 71 for victory, and openers Reeza Hendricks and Gihahn Cloete each scored 31 not out as they knocked off those runs in a breezy 18.3 overs.

The Warriors resumed on 25 for three and opener David White (89) and Ryan Bailey (39) fought hard as they added 101 for the fifth wicket before fast bowler Quinton Friend had Bailey caught behind.

Off-spinner Werner Coetsee (three for 47) and seamer Malusi Siboto (two for 27) then claimed the remaining five wickets for just 37 runs, killing off the Warriors’ hopes of setting the Knights a stiff target.

The Warriors trailed by 127 runs on first innings thanks to an error-strewn final session on the third day when they allowed the Knights’ last pair of Rudi Second (180) and Corne Dry (43 not out) to add 145 for the 10th wicket.

With Johan van der Wath, who took six wickets in the first innings, again causing plenty of trouble for the top-order, the Warriors were left with an uphill task to save the game on Sunday, even though the Knights lost both Van der Wath and fellow pace bowler Dry to injury on the final day.

The defeat continues the pain for the Warriors in the Sunfoil Series, with the Eastern Cape side bottom of the log with just one win in six matches, while the Knights have climbed back to second in the standings, just less than six points behind the Cape Cobras.