Knights duo Jansen & Von Berg really hurt the Lions
The combination of left-arm seam and leg-spin that Duan Jansen and Shaun von Berg brought to the Knights attack really hurt the Imperial Lions in their Cricket South Africa 4-Day Domestic Cup match in Bloemfontein, with the Central Franchise wrapping up a nine-wicket win midway through the final afternoon on Wednesday.
Von Berg was the star of the show with four for 68 in 29 overs on Wednesday, giving him match figures of nine for 161 in 57 overs, as the Lions were bowled out for 262 and then 227 in their follow-on innings. That left the Knights with just 18 runs to score in the second innings for victory.
The 20-year-old Jansen chipped in with the vital wickets of first-innings centurion Rassie van der Dussen for 14 on the third evening, and then Lions opener Dominic Hendricks on Wednesday for an obdurate 98, as the paceman finished with four for 44 on franchise debut.
Ryan Rickelton was the only other Lions batsman to delay the Knights for long, scoring 46. The visitors were one man short in their second innings, Josh Richards being unable to bat after he retired hurt in the first innings.
In Port Elizabeth, the well-integrated Warriors attack swept them to victory over the Cape Cobras by 80 runs on an intriguing final day.
The Cobras were set a testing target of 265 to win and began the final day on 82 for three. But Marco Jansen had Kyle Verreynne (11) caught behind in the third over of the day and opener Janneman Malan, who had batted with sound judgement in scoring 65, then rashly went down the wicket to left-arm spinner Jon-Jon Smuts and tried to hit over the top, being beaten in the flight and stumped by Sinethemba Qeshile.
Glenton Stuurman, freshly added to the Proteas Test squad, then claimed his second bowled victim of the innings in Aviwe Mgijima (19), and Basheer Walters and Smuts then both claimed a pair of wickets to seal victory as the Cobras were bowled out for 184.
Smuts finished with three for 47, while Stuurman had two for 38 in 17 overs, Walters two for 36 in 14 and Mthiwekhaya Nabe took two for 26 in eight.