Rudi Second, Patrick Kruger, Grant Mokoena and Andries Gous all hit half-centuries as the VKB Knights ended their seven-match winless streak by beating the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras with a bonus point for their first victory of the Momentum One-Day Cup season in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

The hosts, who had lost five and tied two of their seven matches in 2017/18, were set up for victory after the quartet helped them amass a fixture record score of 320 for four – by far the highest score for the home side this season.

Eddie Leie and Mbulelo Budaza then shared seven wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 245 in 41.4 overs at the Mangaung Oval.

It completed a relieving win for the Central Franchise and kept their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive with two matches to play.

They lost the toss and were asked to bat first, but began well through Mokoena, who scored a franchise cricket best of 75 (96 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes).

David Miller was promoted to open the order but that experiment failed after he made eight, but Gous stepped up with 74 (87 balls, 8 fours) in what was his debut game.

After he departed it was the Second (78 off 58 balls, 5 fours, 4 sixes) and Kruger (64 off 44, 3 fours, 3 sixes) show as they plundered a 135-run unbroken fifth wicket stand in just 12.5 overs.

The Cobras scored quickly in their reply, but lost wickets far too regularly as they fell to 136 just after the halfway stage.

Their highest scorer was Kyle Verreynne with his 54 (49 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes), but he was one of four wickets to fall to the spin of Leie (4/65), who last week conceded the most expensive figures in the history of the competition when he went for 90 in seven overs against the same opponents.

Budaza bagged three for 40 for good measure to lead the Knights to a timeous win.