Ken Borland

Migael Pretorius was chosen for the Proteas squad as a fast bowler but on Monday he snatched an extraordinary last-over win for his Knights team with the bat in their T20 Challenge match against the Cape Cobras at Kingsmead.

Pretorius, coming in at No.8, was facing Ziyaad Abrahams with a virtually insurmountable 16 runs needed off the last three balls.

The 25-year-old heaved the next two deliveries over the leg-side boundary for sixes, leaving four runs to get off the last ball and keep his team’s hopes of a playoff berth alive.

Abrahams delivered a superb yorker just outside leg-stump which Pretorius missed, but the bowler had astonishingly overstepped, gifting a no-ball extra as well as a free hit.

Abrahams again fired a full ball into the pads, but Pretorius did exceedingly well to dig it out with sufficient timing to beat the despairing dive of George Linde on the midwicket boundary.

The Knights had been chasing 168, the highest total of the competition so far, and Raynard van Tonder (42 off 40) and captain Pite van Biljon (29 off 25) had laid a solid foundation and given them a chance.

Left-arm spinners Linde (4-0-20-1) and Siyabonga Mahima (4-0-31-2) were once again the Cobras’ most effective bowlers.

The Cobras, having won the toss and elected to bat, came out with a more attacking approach with Zubayr Hamza finally getting the opportunity to spend a prolonged time at the crease and show his quality with a commanding 77 not out off 49 balls in a welcome return to form.

Kyle Verreynne was also at his attacking best as he scored 45 off 31 deliveries.

Seamer Alfred Mothoa took two wickets at the death to finish with two for 32, but leg-spinner Shaun von Berg was the pick of the Knights bowlers.

Constantly at the batsmen, he took two for 23 in four excellent overs.

The Dolphins have all but assured themselves of a place in at least the T20 Challenge playoffs as they beat the Warriors by three runs on the DLS method at Kingsmead on Sunday to post their third successive victory.

The Dolphins were set 144 to win and were 128 for two, needing 16 runs off the last two overs, when their match was rained out, the DLS method deservedly awarding them the win.

And the Dolphins have their opening pair of Sarel Erwee and Keegan Petersen to thank for the triumph.

Erwee batted extremely well in the powerplay, showing good aggression as he posted 52 off 37 balls, including four big leg-side sixes.

The left-hander fell with the Dolphins needing 53 more runs off eight overs, with Petersen then batting through and scoring a well-judged 58 not out off 56 deliveries to secure the victory.

The Warriors did have a couple of opportunities at the end to dismiss Petersen, which would have made the final result an even closer affair.

The Warriors, who won the toss and elected to bat, made it to a competitive 143 for five thanks to a top-class effort of 47 not out off 38 balls by captain Sinethemba Qeshile.

He shared a partnership of 71 off 57 balls for the fourth wicket with Jon-Jon Smuts (29) that gave the Warriors a chance.

It was a fine all-round bowling effort by the Dolphins, with Keshav Maharaj producing a pair of maiden overs as he conceded just 12 runs in his four-over stint and seamer Ottneil Baartman taking two for 31.

The Titans still need to address their batting but their bowling and fielding were outstanding enough for them to beat the Cape Cobras by 16 runs for their second successive victory in the T20 Challenge at Kingsmead on Sunday.

Defending just 149, the Titans bowlers were impressively accurate and adapted especially well to a pitch which did make it hard for the batsmen to score freely, bowling the Cobras out for 132.

Part-time off-spinner Aiden Markram opened the bowling and conceded just three runs and the seamers were then all bang on the money as the Cobras struggled to just 24 for two in the powerplay.

The Cobras just could not break the shackles and they were 87 for five after 16 overs, needing 62 runs from the last 24 balls when George Linde did put the Titans under some pressure by hitting spinner Tabraiz Shamsi for three consecutive sixes in the 17^th over.

It gave the Cobras a glimmer of hope as they then needed 39 off the last three overs to win, but the impressive Lizaad Williams then bowled Linde (37 off 21) with a superb yorker.

Lungi Ngidi and Chris Morris also bowled outstanding overs at the death as the Titans conceded just 22 runs and claimed five wickets in the last three overs.

Ngidi, using slower balls as his preferred weapon of attack, led the way with brilliant figures of three for 18, while Morris finished with two for 21 and Williams two for 25.

The Titans had chosen to bat first, but for all the talents of Proteas Markram (10), Dean Elgar (31), Theunis de Bruyn (12) and Heinrich Klaasen (7) they needed a wee gem of an innings by Sibonelo Makhanya to get to 148 for six.

Busy from the outset, Makhanya lifted the run-rate with his energetic intent and used the slog-sweep to great effect to score 47 off 33 balls.

The three Cobras spinners – George Linde, Imraan Manack and Siyabonga Mahima – were impressive, with Linde leading the way with two for 23 in his four overs.

Paceman Corbin Bosch also bowled extremely well for his one for 24.

Khaya Zondo is using this T20 Challenge competition to remind everyone of his quality as he produced his second successive matchwinning innings for the Dolphins as they battled past a gutsy Knights side by four wickets at Kingsmead on Saturday.

The Dolphins were set a target of just 145 for victory – and this was only possible due to an extraordinary unbroken partnership of 75 off 39 balls by Knights captain Pite van Biljon and Migael Pretorius – but this proved challenging to the hosts as they slipped to 86 for five after 12 overs.

But Zondo, who top-scored with 59 in the Dolphins win over the Cape Cobras, showed great composure and determination as he made 35 not out off 31 balls to usher his team to victory with 11 balls to spare. He received superb support from reliable finisher Robbie Frylinck, who scored a powerful 24 off 15 deliveries with a couple of hard-struck sixes, as they added a matchturning 55 off 41 balls for the sixth wicket.

The Dolphins, who lost the toss, began the match in spectacular fashion as ace spinner and captain Keshav Maharaj took two wickets with the first three balls of the match, trapping both Patrick Kruger and Andries Gous lbw for ducks.

The Knights crashed even further from 0 for two as they were then 21 for four when Frylinck removed Jacques Snyman, well caught by a diving Zondo at slip for 6, and Farhaan Behardien, lbw for five.

That the Knights managed to fight their way back from that dreadful start can only be respected and it was their skipper, Van Biljon who led the way.

The Proteas T20 player counterpunched his way to an heroic 72 not out off 54 balls, a tremendous effort considering he was physically ailing due to some heatstroke. Van Biljon did not take the field when the Dolphins batted, wicketkeeper Wandile Makwetu taking over the reins, and said after the match that he was feeling dizzy and had goosebumps all over his body during his 90 minutes at the crease.

Ferisco Adams (18) helped Van Biljon stabilise the innings as they added 48 for the fifth wicket, but fast bowler Pretorius, bumped up the order, then showed his batting credentials. Coming in at 69 for five in the 15^th over, Pretorius feasted on some loose bowling as he bashed 38 not out off 23 deliveries.

Maharaj finished with two for 18 in his four overs and fellow spinner Prenelan Subrayen was also impressive, conceding just 25 runs in his stint. Frylinck took two for 11 but only bowled three overs, which was surprising considering how both Eathan Bosch and Kerwin Mungroo were punished at the death.