KIMBERLEY, South Africa, CMC – A brilliant Man-of-the-Match all-round performance from West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell fired Knights to a convincing 39-run victory over Dolphins in the Ram Slam Twenty20 League here on Friday.
Russell slammed a scintillating even 50 from a mere 19 balls as Knights, sent in, got up to 167 for five off their 20 allotted overs at Diamond Oval.
The right-arm seamer then returned to grabbed three for 17 as Dolphins, with West Indies one-captain Dwayne Bravo on board, were restricted to 128 all out with nine balls remaining.
With the win, Knights are now third in the Ram Slam standings on 22 points, Cape Cobras top with 29 points.
Knights started poorly and were 26 for two when opener Reeza Hendricks, who top-scored with 69, and Tumelo Bodibe, who got 23, put on 63 for the third wicket.
Russell then arrived to play a blinder, smashing six sixes in a 76-run partnership with Hendricks to ensure Knights finished strongly.
The Jamaican ripped into his Windies teammate Bravo, sensationally smashing him for four sixes in one over, the 18th of the innings, which leaked 30 runs.
Russell was eventually run out off the last ball of the final over also bowled by Bravo.
In reply, Dolphins never really threatened especially after slipping to 63 for five in the 12th over.
Bravo tried to revive the innings with an 18-ball 35 that included three fours and two sixes, in a 46-un sixth wicket stand with Khaya Zondo (18).
But once Bravo was bowled by seamer Shadley van Schalkwyk (3-28) in the 16th over, the innings collapsed. At Senwes Park in Potchefstroom, both Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy failed in a high-scoring encounter as Gayle’s Lions edged Titans by a single run.
Opener Rassie van der Dussen struck an unbeaten 101 to get Lions up to 179 for three, with Gayle scoring just eight and seamer Sammy finishing wicket-less from four overs which cost 33 runs.
Titans then just missed out, finishing 178 for six with opener Heino Kuhn unbeaten on 69 and Heinrich Klaasen getting 44.
Captain Sammy made only six.
In Port Elizabeth, West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard struck 32 not out as leaders Cape Cobras easily beat Warriors by 72 runs.
Pollard faced just 15 balls and counted two fours and three sixes as leaders Cape Cobras rattled up 187 for three, batting first.
Openers Richard Levi (76) and Andrew Puttick (65) put on 140 for the first wicket.
In reply, Warriors managed only 115 all out from 18.1 overs.