THE VKB Knights were crowned Sunfoil Series champions for 2016/17 after completing a resounding innings and 121-run victory over the bizhub Highveld Lions at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The Central franchise took less than a session to claim the five wickets they required on the third morning, sealing the final round win that brought them a first four-day title in nine years – their only previous championship in the franchise era having come in the 2007/08 term.
The key men for them on what turned out to be the last day were fast-bowling duo of Marchant de Lange (3/75) and Shadley van Schalkwyk (3/41) as both took two wickets each, while the other one was taken by their bowler of the season, Duanne Olivier.
The most recent Standard Bank Proteas Test debutant was the pick of the bowlers thanks to his 4/59, while he also picked up 2/19 in the first innings to become the first and only man to pick up 50 wickets in the season – the fast bowler ending with 52 in total.
The Lions, whose Achilles’ heel in the round 10 fixture was their woeful first innings of 87, offered little resistance in the end as their last five men fell for 42.
Mangaliso Mosehle made 21 as the home side were bowled out in 70.1 overs.
The result completed a bold win for the away side, who had to overcome a 2.38 deficit on the Multiply Titans to win the championship with a final total of 112.94 points.
