Cobras cling on for one-run win

Some manic, late hitting from Chris Morris almost gave Lions a remarkable comeback win, but Cape Cobras hung on to win by just one run at Newlands. The contest seemed over when Lions were left needing 44 runs off three overs, with four wickets in hand, to overhaul Cobras' 180. Morris hit two fours, and Thami Tsolekile one, to take 17 runs off Justin Kemp in the 18th over, but only seven came off the next, bowled by Brad Hogg, leaving Lions 20 to win off the last. Morris hit Charl Langeveldt's second ball over backward point, his fourth through midwicket and fifth over extra cover, all for fours, and Lions needed four off the last ball. Morris could only manage to drive the ball to long-on and Lions fell one run short.

It should never have got that close for Cobras, who put up an impressive total and then took quick wickets to peg Lions back after Jonathan Vandiar's 59 off 38 balls had got the chase off to a brisk start.

Cobras reached 180 thanks to Owais Shah's 79 not out off 44 balls. Shah came in after Cobras had lost their openers early and was watchful initially, before breaking free with two leg-side boundaries in the eighth over. He worked the ones and twos in the middle overs, and then exploded in the end. He smashed Dirk Nannes for three consecutive fours in the 16th over, hit two fours and a six in the next one, bowled by Morris, and collected two more boundaries off Sohail Tanvir in the 20th. Shah was assisted by Dane Vilas, who scored 49 not out off 31 balls, including three big sixes.

Jandre Coetzee's remarkable bowling performance helped Knights win a low-scoring match against Warriors, in Port Elizabeth, by 13 runs, and move to second in the table. Coetzee, the left-arm medium-pacer, took three wickets and conceded just seven runs in his four overs, which included a maiden, as Knights defended 127. Coetzee struck with the first ball of the second innings, getting rid of the dangerous JJ Smuts. He was taken out of the attack after just one over, and Warriors got their chase on track through Colin Ingram's boundary-filled 53. Two wickets fell in the tenth over, bowled by offspinner Werner Coetsee - Ingram was run out and Johan Botha out caught - but Warriors were still favourites at 84 for 4 in 12 overs

Coetzee then came back and took two wickets in three balls to derail the chase. He was held back again, and when he came on to bowl the 17th over, delivered a maiden, which causes the required-rate to rise from 7.00 to 9.33. His next over, the 19th, went for just four runs, and sealed the win.

Knights had started off briskly in their innings but the boundaries become harder to find in the middle overs and then completely disappeared in the last five. Obus Pienaar's 39 off 34 balls had given Knights a solid base, but their middle and lower order could not build on it, and only 26 runs came off the last five overs to keep the total to 127. They needed a good bowling performance to win, and they got one.

Titans and Dolphins shared the points after their match at SuperSport Park was abandoned after 10.3 overs. The match was delayed after 2.2 overs due to lightning. The players came back out but could only play a few more overs before the rain came and washed the game out.