Turbo-charged by Kane Williamson’s unconquered century (101, 49b, 8x4, 5x6), the fastest ever in CLT20 history, Northern Knights blazed to an imposing 206 for five against Cape Cobras in the Oppo Champions League Twenty20 at the Shahid Veer Narayan Singh stadium here on Friday.
Rain spoilt the party for the South African squad, stranded on 44 for two, 33 short on the Duckworth & Lewis method, forcing the covers to be brought on and an exciting encounter grinding to a halt.
With no respite from the downpour, Northern Knights was declared winner.
Asked to bat, the Knights went in without Daniel Harris, one of just five CLT20 centurions, but rested after Tuesday’s injury. Langeveldt and Philander breathed fire time and again, beating tough-as-teak openers Devcich and Williamson initially.
The duo flirted with disaster, setting off on some high-risk singles, but eventually found its rich run-making vein. The pair prospered against a six-pronged attack, Williamson posting his third half-century of the tournament from 25 deliveries and Devcich, his first.
Milestones made, their pace perked up, the ball heading to and over the ropes more frequently. Devcich, wreathed with a beard born of a pact with a mate in a bar, revelled in on-side play, pulls and flicks going unchecked till Robin Peterson’s direct hit from point did him in.
ChancelessWilliamson made merry too, his chanceless century laced with late cuts, the landmark reached with a square driven six off the fearsome Philander in the dying moments of the innings. Fresh from a challenging century in his farewell match for Yorkshire last month, the Tauranga native even took the liberty of smacking Langeveldt, a former prison warder, over his head and towards the sightscreen.
Even if his endeavour spanned the entire Knights innings, Williamson’s accomplishment came off just 49 balls, embellished with eight hits to the fence and five boundary-clearing blows, duly earning him the ‘man-of-the-match’ award.
Chasing a challenging score, the Cobras were struck by a Boult thunderbolt off the very first ball, Stiaan van Zyl’s stumps splayed by the speedster.
The calmness Hashim Amla is known to bring about, didn’t last long as he was snapped up by substitute B.S. Wilson at mid-wicket.
