East London - A century from Gerhardt Abrahams powered the Knights to a 47-run win against the Warriors in their domestic one day match at Buffalo Park on Friday.
Some dreadfully slow batting by the Warriors, looking for 267 for a win, coupled with brilliant field-placing by Knights captain Werner Coetsee secured the four points in East London.
The Warriors started their chase at a snail's pace, allowing Dillon du Preez and Corne Dry to dictate matters as openers Michael Price and Jon-Jon Smuts were restricted to seven runs off the first six overs, with three maidens recorded in successive overs.
Price was the first to go, slashing at a Malusi Siboto delivery and being caught at point by Pite van Biljon for 24 at 50 for one.
Colin Ingram scratched around for seven balls before Obus Pienaar ended his misery with a skied catch at mid-on off Werner Coetsee, who bowled well and finished with figures of 4-47 in 10 overs.
Smuts and Ryan Bailey added 61 for the third wicket, but after 30 overs, there were only 110 runs on the board - 157 required off 20 overs.
Bailey was then clean-bowled by Du Preez for 34 at 119 for three wickets.
What followed was a procession of batsmen back to the pavilion with Smuts putting down roots and becoming the villain rather than the hero. He finished with 76 but used up 101 balls which put pressure on the later batsmen.
Some big hits by Christiaan Jonker, who scored two sixes in his 25 off 17 balls, brought a faint glimmer of hope for the home team, but in the end it was too much for the Warriors.
Earlier the Knights won the toss and scored 266 for six wickets in their 50 overs, with opener Abrahams racing to his maiden limited-overs century.
His 123 came up off 102 balls with eight fours and four sixes. Abrahams was not afraid to loft the ball and was particularly severe on off-spinner Simon Harmer, smashing him for four huge sixes, mostly over the long-on boundary.
Abrahams and Pienaar combined for an exciting 113-run stand for the fifth wicket after Hendricks, 27, Rudi Second, 9, Van Biljon, 21, and Diego Rosier, 5, had all been dismissed.
At that point they had 119 runs on the board after 29 overs, with Abrahams playing an anchor role but lost his wicket, leg before wicket to Lundi Mbane.
Pienaar took over and went on to a thoroughly deserved half-century, reaching his 50 off 45 balls with five fours and a six. He finished strongly with 61 not out.
Mbane had broken through with his first ball of the innings, having Hendricks caught behind by Athi Dyili, an excellent catch with the wicketkeeper lunging far to his right to pouch the ball.
Mbane grabbed two wickets in one over, dismissing Abrahams and the promoted Dillon du Preez four balls later.
Coetsee was dropped before he had scored - a hard chance to gully, and he was on nine when the innings ended. Mbane excelled with 4-47 off 10 overs, while Harmer was the only other successful Warriors bowler with 2-50 off his 10.
Abrahams received the Momentum Man of the Match award for his century.
Sapa