Cape Cobras coach Shukri Conrad was left speechless after a disastrous batting performance by the home batsmen in the Supersport Series. The Cobras were routed in just 24 overs in their second innings to leave the Warriors an easy victory target as the match ended in just two days.
The Warriors resumed their first innings still trailing by 69 runs with seven wickets in hand.
The Cobras bowlers struck some telling blows, as Charl Willoughby dismissed Murray Goodwin and Johan Botha in quick succession.
With Robin Peterson also falling early to Rory Kleinveldt, there was hope of taking a lead but Arno Jacobs and Athenkosi Dyili added 58 for the seventh wicket in 11 overs to put the visitors into the lead.
Vernon Philander wrapped up the tail, taking three wickets in four balls to finish with four for 45, while Willoughby claimed the last wicket to end with five for 59.
Facing a nominal deficit of 32 runs, the Cobras lost five wickets in clearing the arrears.
As in the first innings, Mornanteau Hayward claimed two wickets in the first over as Andrew Puttick completed a pair.
As Hayward and Lonwabo Tsotsobe continued to wreak havoc, the home team were at one stage effectively one for seven.
Kleinveldt played a typical cavalier inning to put some sort of score on the board with an unbeaten 40 off 62 balls (seven fours). However, he ran out of partners as the Cobras recorded the lowest total since the introduction of the franchise system.
Tsotsobe finished with his best return at this level and both he and Hayward ended with seven wickets in the match.
The batsmen showed little interest in gutsing it out against the fiery Hayward, who was showing some of his best form.
Set a mere 56 to win, Craig Thyssen set out to knock off the runs in quick time with an innings of 31 off 32 balls (five fours and a six).
Willoughby and Philander each claimed another scalp before Murray Goodwin and captain HD Ackerman steered the Warriors to their first win of the season.
The Cape Cobras remain emphatically at the bottom of the table, and on this showing can have little hope of avoiding the wooden spoon after winning the one-day competition earlier in the summer.
Hayward’s effort earned him the man-of-the-match award with his return of seven for 81, and his physical presence earned more wickets than his figures indicated. — Sapa