Ram Slam: Warriors boost play-off hopes with 12-run win over Cobras
Friday 4 December 2015 15:14, UK
Wayne Parnell's second fifty in as many games proved in vain as Cape Cobras slipped to a 12-run defeat to Warriors, at Buffalo Park.
Parnell, who blasted a career-best T20 score of 99 as Cape Cobras beat Highveld Lions by six wickets on Sunday, struck 74 not out only for his side to finish on 141-7 in pursuit of their target of 154.
Victory would have guaranteed the defending champions second place in the table; instead Warriors move up to fourth in the table and remain firmly in the hunt for a play-off spot.
Jon-Jon Smuts' 61 not out was the standout Warriors innings, propelling the hosts to 153-8 despite career-best figures of 5-34 from Mthokozisi Shezi.
Rory Kleinveldt bowled Gihahan Cloete for a second ball duck in the first over to get Cobras off to a strong start.
Captain Colin Ingram (18) was just getting into his stride when he spooned Parnell to wicketkeeper Andrew Puttick and the home side were very much up against it when Colin Ackermann (34 off 29) was caught by Sybrand Engelbrecht attempting to hit Justin Kemp over the midwicket rope.
It took a fifth-wicket stand of 48 in 7.5 overs between Smuts and David White (30 off 28) to get Warriors back on track.
Smuts motored to within a single off his fifty by blasting 12 runs off the first three balls of the 19th over before reaching his half-century in style off 37 balls as Justin Ontong dropped a simple chance on the midwicket boundary.
Shezi conceded just three runs off the first five balls of the final over, picking up the wickets of Andrew Birch and Clyde Fortuin in successive deliveries, but couldn't deny Smuts the last word as the right-hander finished in style with a towering six.
Andrew Smirch struck early in the Cobras' chase, bowling Puttick (five) via an inside edge in his first over but there was no restraining the in-form Parnell.
The 26-year-old, who played the most recent of his 35 T20 internationals for South Africa in July, reached his second T20 fifty in grand style off 43 balls, driving Lundi Mbane straight down the ground for six.
Mbane earned a measure of revenge two balls later by bowling Justin Kemp (20 off 15 balls) as he swung across the line and with the rate mounting Kleinveldt (four) miscued to long off where Birch took a fine sliding catch.
Live Ram Slam T20 Cricket
With 28 needed off 13 deliveries, spinner Smuts (1-27) was removed from the attack for bowling two no-balls on the grounds of height; Mbane completed the over but not without controversy as Warriors contravened the regulations by changing the field even though Parnell retained the strike.
Birch conceded just five singles off the final over of the innings - and bowled Engelbrecht too - to seal the victory and spark joyous Warriors' celebrations.
Our live Ram Slam coverage continues at 4pm on Friday on Sky Sports 2 when Dolphins take on Cobras.
