Tshepo Ntuli and Ottniel Baartman shared seven wickets as the Knights delivered an outstanding performance with the ball on the second day of their 4-Day Domestic Series encounter against the Warriors in Kimberley on Tuesday.
Ntuli claimed 4/58 and Baartman 3/28 to help bowl out the visitors for just 134.
Half-centuries by debutant Raynard van Tonder (52 off 70 balls, 9 fours) and captain Pite van Biljon (63 off 49 balls, 8 fours, 3 sixes) then ensured the hosts were in the pound seat by the close on 206/4 – a lead of 365.
It capped a fine day for the Central Franchise at the Diamond Oval, where a total of 15 wickets fell.
It began with Anrich Nortjé (5/51) completing his fifth career five-for when he claimed the final wicket of the Knights first innings to fall, Baartman out for six, which left them all out for 293.
Eddie Moore (37) provided the Warriors with a decent start by getting them to 38/0.
Duanne Olivier (1/22) then broke the stand by getting rid of Gihahn Cloete (16), with Ryan McLaren (1/16) accounting for Moore, before Baartman and Ntuli ripped through the rest of the line-up.
The Eastern Cape franchise lost all 10 wickets for 96 runs as they were shot out in just 38.4 overs.
Ntuli’s figures were his best at franchise level, and helped give the home side a first innings lead of 159.
That was stretched to over 350 by the close thanks to SA Under-19 captain Van Tonder’s maiden half-century in his first franchise game.
The real impetus, though, came from skipper Van Biljon, who followed his match-saving century last week by smashing the bowling all over at a strike-rate of 128.57 to take the game away from the Warriors.
There was also 38 from Grant Mokoena and an unbeaten 38 by Keegan Petersen, leaving the home side in command at halfway.