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Another fiery spell of bowling by Charl Langeveldt secured victory for the Nashua Cape Cobras as they beat the Chevrolet Warriors by five runs in a Standard Bank Pro20 thriller in East London on Friday.
Langeveldt has been in inspired form since the controversy over the selection of the squad for India and he picked up three wickets in the 17th over of the Warriors innings to derail their run-chase.
Chasing 146 for victory, the Warriors were up with the required run-rate for most of their innings but the experience of Langeveldt proved crucial.
He removed the key man, Warriors captain Zander de Bruyn, for a run-a-ball 35, courtesy of a top-edged hook well-taken by Tyron Henderson and the rest of the home side's batting then meekly subsided.
That was until Lyall Meyer and Wayne Parnell showed they were not afraid of the odds stacked against them and they added 25 off 17 balls to leave the Warriors just short.
The Warriors finished on 140 for eight, with Meyer and Parnell needing 12 off Rory Kleinveldt's last over but only managing half that amount.
The Warriors were going along smoothly when Davey Jacobs (36 off 24) and De Bruyn added 58 for the fourth wicket in 7.3 overs but spinner Con de Lange then dismissed Jacobs via a return catch and Langeveldt then wrecked the rest of the innings.
Johan Botha and De Bruyn were both caught on the boundary and Juan Theron lasted just one ball before he was caught behind.
Craig Thyssen lasted just two balls before he skied Kleinveldt to point and the Warriors had crashed from 103 for three to 115 for eight.
Vernon Philander was the one Cobras bowler to have a hellish evening, conceding 48 runs in his four overs, but Kleinveldt (two for 32), Henderson (two for 28) and De Lange (one for 18) were all impressive before Langeveldt once again had the final word.
He finished with three for 13, another thunderous performance after his hat-trick against the Nashua Titans in midweek, and the Warriors' challenge had died after his effort.
Earlier, a greenhorn and an experienced international had combined for the Warriors to ensure the Cape Cobras struggled to 145 for seven.
South African ODI spinner Botha took three for 19 in an outstanding four-over spell in the middle overs so the Cobras innings could never gain momentum.
Parnell, the left-arm seamer who toughened himself up by leading the SA under-19 team at the Junior World Cup in Malaysia recently, removed openers Andrew Puttick and Richard Levi at the start and end of the innings to further ensure the Cobras never got out of first gear.
Herschelle Gibbs made a run-a-ball 15 before coming down the pitch to Botha and driving straight to long-off.
Levi's 39 off 37 balls was the other telling contribution before a late flood of runs would come from the bats of Philander and Kleinveldt.
Kleinveldt prefers the direct approach and hit two sixes in his first six balls as he raced to 22 off just nine deliveries.
He was pleased to have the services of such a talented player alongside him as Philander and it was a pity for the Warriors that they just let things slip a tad at the end of the innings.
Lyall Meyer was hammered for 16 runs in his first over - the 17th - which was also littered with two wides, but Botha came to light in the medium-pacer's next over with a dazzling catch to dismiss Kleinveldt, running and diving to claim the ball inches off the ground at long-off. Photographs will sadly have to suffice as this match was not televised.
Philander sailed to 36 not out off 29 balls, acting as a fine finisher for the innings.
Botha was the pick of the bowlers, while Parnell took two for 24 in his four overs and Lonwabo Tsotsobe conceded just 27 runs in his completed spell.
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