Cape Town Blitz consolidated their position at the summit of the Mzansi Super League T20 table in beating the NMB Giants by 12 runs in a shortened match at Newlands, Cape Town, on Wednesday night.
Initially set 176 for victory, the Giants had struggled to 49 for two off 8.4 overs before one of the floodlights failed.
By the time power was restored, four overs had been deducted from the Giants’ innings, which meant their target was revised to 145 off 16 overs.
That left them needing a further 96 from only 44 balls.
Heino Kuhn gave it a good bash for the Giants in scoring 55 off 35 deliveries, but eventually they could muster only 132 for six in reply.
Proteas speedster Dale Steyn was impressive for the home team, taking two for 21 in his four overs.
The result means the Blitz have now won all three of their matches, while the Giants have a victory and a loss in two games.
Earlier, Janneman Malan played some delightful strokes in making 57 at the top of the order as the Blitz amassed a very useful 175 for six.
Blitz captain Farhaan Behardien opted to bat first and Malan got them off to a flyer.
He was the mainstay in the opening partnership with Quinton de Kock as the pair reached 40 after four overs.
But the Giants introduced Imran Tahir into the attack inside of the powerplay in the fifth over and he had immediate success, removing De Kock with a beautiful piece of bowling that saw his Proteas teammate stumped by Rudi Second for six.
But while old pro Tahir was his consistent self, the remainder of the Giants’ attack struggled to execute their skills effectively.
Their seamers were too short up front and also strayed off their lines on what was, admittedly, a good batting surface.
Andile Phehlukwayo came in at three for the Blitz and struck a quick 28, while experienced Pakistani Asif Ali blasted 22 off only 11 balls to give the innings some more impetus.
Chris Morris and Ryan McLaren took two wickets each, while Tahir was the pick in conceding only 18 runs in his four overs.
The Giants now return to Port Elizabeth on Thursday to prepare for their next match against Durban Heat at St George’s Park on Friday.
Meanwhile, Durban Heat opened their account when they beat the Tshwane Spartans by four wickets according to the Duckworth-Lewis method at an overcast Kingsmead on Wednesday afternoon.
There had already been one brief stoppage for rain in the Spartans’ innings, which had necessitated the match being reduced to 19 overs a side.
Then, with the Heat on 129/6 after 16.3 overs, needing a further 11 runs to win off 15 balls, the rain returned.
The Heat, being ahead on run rate, were therefore adjudged the winners.
Knowing the weather was uncertain prompted Heat skipper Albie Morkel to put his opponents in to bat when he won the toss, and that calculation eventually paid off.
Chasing the Spartans’ total of 139/9, the Heat were struggling to maintain a winning run rate after a brisk beginning from Morne van Wyk (22 in 16 balls) with Hashim Amla and Heinrich Klaasen getting into the 20s at only a run a ball.
It took a fifth-wicket partnership of 40 in 17 balls from Morkel and Khaya Zondo to provide the crucial acceleration that eventually took the home team to victory.
Morkel smashed Rory Kleinveldt for a six and a four at the end of the 13th over before he and Zondo took 19 runs off the next over by Sikandar Raza.
Zondo struck three fours and a six in his 25 off 11 balls and Morkel three fours and two sixes in his 12-ball 26.
Earlier, Gihahn Cloete struck his second consecutive half-century (55) to bolster the Spartans, but it was former Dolphin Kyle Abbott who enjoyed a happy homecoming by taking 4/27.