Chetty, van Jaarsveld lift Dolphins to the top

Fifties from Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Cody Chetty trumped a century from Alviro Petersen, as Dolphins moved to the top of table following a four-wicket win against Lions in Durban. Lions, opting to bat, began poorly and soon found themselves floundering at 63 for 5 following an early burst from Ryan McLaren (3 for 48). However, Petersen single-handedly staged a recovery, scoring a counterattacking ton and putting up fifty-plus stands for the next two wickets, with Dwayne Pretorius and Hardus Viljoen. Petersen struck five fours and four sixes during his ton, and remained unbeaten on 108; no other batsman managed more than 31, as Lions ended with 221 for 6.

Dolphins began their chase positively, as a 67-run opening stand between van Jaarsveld and Cameron Delport gave the team early impetus. Both the openers fell in quick succession after that, but Chetty, the No.3 batsman, remained resolute. He hit six fours and two sixes during his 100-ball 86, and shared 53-run partnerships with both Daryn Smit as well as Sibonelo Makhanya, helping Dolphins ease past the target inside 45 overs.

Rudi Second's third List-A century overshadowed Colin Ingram's 13th, as Knights squeezed Warriors for a 13-run win, their first of the tournament, in Bloemfontein.

Chasing 253, Warriors lost JJ Smuts in the fifth over for 6 and Gihahn Cloete fell for 16 soon after as Warriors were reduced to 52 for 2 by the 14th over. Ingram and Yaseen Vallie then combined for a 90-run partnership as Warriors clawed their way back into the game. But Knights kept chipping away with wickets at regular intervals, and the equation came down to 78 off 58, with the in-form Ingram still going strong. The required run-rate, however, kept creeping up and Knights eventually got Ingram in the 46th over for a 135-ball 120, with Warriors still needing 41. After Ingram's wicket, neither Christiaan Jonker nor Simon Harmer could find the boundary even once, as the Knights bowlers held on for a tight win. Shadley van Schalkwyk was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 10-0-30-2.

Earlier, Knights found themselves in trouble in no time after electing to bat, as Obus Pienaar was the third man out with the score at 43 in the 17th over. Second and Patrick Botha (28) then formed a 71-run, fourth-wicket partnership to rebuild the innings. Tumelo Bodibe and captain Werner Coetsee struck valuable cameos at more than a run-a-ball, but it was Second's 146-ball 135, an innings that featured 13 fours, which carried Knights to a total of 252 for 5. Andrew Birch and Sisanda Magala picked up two wickets each.

Cape Cobras emerged on the right side of a close encounter against Titans in Cape Town, securing a 19-run win. Led by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas' 78, Cobras ensured they posted a total of 282, three runs less than the score Titans chased down in last year's Momentum One Day Cup final.

Richard Levi gave the Cobras a flying start after they chose to bat, scoring a 37-ball 53 with six fours and two sixes. However, three wickets in the space of 22 balls brought Titans back in the game, with Rowan Richards accounting for two of those scalps. The game drifted in Cobras direction thereafter as Vilas and captain Justin Ontong (48) combined for a 126-run stand in 23 overs as the score went past 200. Marchant de Lange took 4 for 58 to stall a late surge from Cobras.

Titans began the chase in sprightly fashion but Henry Davids was second man out at the score of 67 in the 14th over, which was followed by two more quick wickets. Another century stand from the middle order ensured that Titans remained in the contest - both Qaasim Adams (51) and Dean Elgar (86) hit their second fifties of the season. Robin Peterson removed Adams, but Albie Morkel, returning to the side after international duties, got straight into his work. Elgar and Morkel reduced the equation to 45 off 27, but Elgar's wicket brought about a match-turning collapse. Wayne Parnell, making his Cobras debut, was instrumental in defending the total, taking 3 for 64.