The Dafabet Warriors had to dig deep, but they showed plenty of character to get their Super Eights campaign off to a winning start against Western Province Cobras at St George’s Park on Saturday.

The four-wicket victory may look relatively comfortable on the scorecard, with 21 balls to spare, but the Warriors were made to work considerably harder than the modest target of 131 suggested.

Having restricted Western Province to 130/8 from their 20 overs, the Warriors would have expected to chase down the total without too much trouble.

Instead, they were forced to withstand an inspired spell from Oliver Whitehead, who threatened to turn the game on its head with an outstanding five-wicket haul.

In the end, the Warriors’ batting was able to find a way through, with JP King and Thomas Kaber seeing them home at 133/6 after 16.3 overs.

The result gives the Warriors an important early victory in the Super Eights and, perhaps more significantly, another example of their ability to find a way through difficult situations.

Western Province’s innings never really gained momentum after they were asked to bat first, with Beuran Hendricks and Kerwin Mungroo making early inroads.

Hendricks finished with 2/16 from his four overs, while Mungroo conceded just 19 runs for his wicket. Wesley Bedja also claimed two wickets, returning 2/19 as the Warriors kept the pressure on throughout the innings.

Daniel Smith provided the backbone of the Western Province innings, scoring 67 from 49 balls, while George Linde added 17 from 11. But with wickets falling around him, Smith could not lift the visitors to a more imposing total.

The Warriors appeared to be on course for a straightforward chase when Jordan Hermann struck 25 from just 15 balls and Matthew de Villiers added 28 from 22.

But Whitehead had other ideas.

The Western Province all-rounder produced the standout individual performance of the match, ripping through the Warriors’ middle order to finish with remarkable figures of 5/20 from his four overs.

His spell left the Warriors wobbling at 103/6 and gave Western Province a genuine glimpse of an unlikely victory.

King remained unbeaten on 32 from 25 balls and found the necessary support from Kaber, who finished 14 not out from 12 deliveries.

The pair ensured there would be no late drama, guiding the Warriors across the line with 21 deliveries remaining.

It was not the polished chase the Warriors might have envisaged when Western Province finished on 130, but that perhaps made the victory all the more valuable.

The Super Eights are likely to demand more from the Warriors than their group-stage campaign, and Saturday’s contest provided an early reminder of that.

They were challenged with the bat, tested by Whitehead’s exceptional spell and forced to find another way to win.