Lions pointless after defeat to Knights

BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 12: Dillon du Preez of the Chevrolet Knights celebrating taking Quintin de Kock's wicket during the 2014 Ram Slam T20 match between Chevrolet Knights and bizhub Highveld Lions at Chevrolet Park on January 12, 2014 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo by Charle Lombard/Gallo Images)

BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 12: Dillon du Preez of the Chevrolet Knights celebrating taking Quintin de Kock's wicket during the 2014 Ram Slam T20 match between Chevrolet Knights and bizhub Highveld Lions at Chevrolet Park on January 12, 2014 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo by Charle Lombard/Gallo Images)

Published Jan 12, 2014

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Johannesburg – Reeza Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw notched up their second successive century stand to give the Knights their first victory of the T20 Challenge beating the Highveld Lions by nine wickets in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

Hendricks and Rossouw put on 104 for the first wicket in Friday's defeat to the Dolphins, but were not to be denied on Sunday as their 134-run stand set the Knights on their way to a comfortable victory.

If there was any disappointment involved for the home side, it was that they did not push harder for what would have been a very handy bonus point after three defeats on the trot.

At one stage the Knights required 36 from three overs for the bonus point with all their wickets intact, but opted not to force the issue.

Dean Elgar ultimately hit the winning runs off the fourth ball of the penultimate over, leaving Hendricks unbeaten on 69 from 53 balls and top of the run-scoring charts in the competition.

Although Hendricks is not part of South Africa's provisional squad for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, Rossouw is and he gave his prospects a further boost by scoring 72 from 53 deliveries.

Both batsmen relied on sweet timing and showed a good range of attacking strokes as they made light work of the Lions' total of 151 for four.

Quinton de Kock's breezy 71 from 54 balls was the only score of note from the visitors, who lacked firepower in the middle order.

Gulam Bodi, Neil McKenzie and Azhar Mahmood all scored more than 20, but were unable to do so at a strike rate that injected the necessary venom into the innings.

The Lions remain pointless and bottom of the table but have played two games less than the Knights, who finally have four points at the fourth attempt. – Sapa

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