Williamson-Devcich opening partnership helps Knights thrash Cobras in CL T20

New Zealand cricketers Kane Williamson and Anton Devcich hit a dominant opening partnership to lead the Northern Knights to an undeniable victory against South Africa's Cape Cobras in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India on Friday.

Williamson hit an unbeaten century as the Knights thumped the Cobras in a rain-reduced match by the Duckworth/Lewis method. He carried on his outstanding form from the qualifying round as his stint as an opener in the shortest format of the game continued to pay huge dividends for the winners of New Zealand's domestic T20 competition last summer.

The New Zealand Test batsman was unbeaten on 101 off 49 balls, while Devcich hit 67 as they put on 140 for the opening wicket in Knights' 206-5 off 20 overs. It was Williamson's maiden ton in a Twenty20 match, Stuff.co.nz reported.

In reply, the Cobras were 44-2 off 7.2 overs when rain ended the match, giving the Knights victory by 33 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis method.

The Knights made the main round of the tournament with three successive victories in the qualifying round and that appeared to have put them in good stead for their fourth consecutive match at the same Raipur venue.

Cobras skipper Justin Ontong won the toss and chose to bowl.

Both Knights openers survived shaky starts before they prospered. Williamson had a scare when Hashim Amla couldn't haul in a chance off spinner Robin Peterson when on 25 from just 14 balls, while Amla also couldn't complete a boundary catch of Devcich as the batsmen hit boundaries with alarming regularity for the Cobras.

Williamson produced the shot of the match with a majestic lofted off-drive and followed it with a straight six before Vilas dropped an edge from the New Zealand star standing up to Peterson when on 45.

The Knights reached 93 without loss as the opening pair brought up their respective half-centuries in quick succession and made it to 140 in the 14th over before Devcich was run out for 67 off 46 balls, with eight fours and a six.

With Daniel Harris ruled out with a hamstring niggle, allowing young all rounder Mitchell Santner to make his tournament debut, wicketkeeper BJ Watling was promoted to number four and progressed the run-rate, with a sharply-compiled 32 off 20 balls.

Not known for his boundary striking, Watling struck three fours and a six as he and Williamson added 51 for the third wicket in just 4.3 overs.

Williamson finished off the innings in the fashion his knock demanded, striking Philander for a stunning six over cover in the final over to bring up his first T20 century.

He ended unbeaten, having faced only 49 balls while plundering five sixes and eight fours.

Facing a mammoth task, the Cobras then lost opener Stiaan van Zyl to the first ball of their reply as Trent Boult got one to swing immediately to castle the middle and off stump.

Amla went in the sixth over for 20 off 14 balls with his side well behind the run-rate, and when rain forced the teams from the field, the Cobras were still well short of their Duckworth/Lewis target.

The Knights will next face the Hobart Hurricanes on Wednesday in Raipur, before further pool matches against the Kings XI Punjab and Barbados Tridents. The top two sides from each pool of five will then contest the semifinals, the report added.