Rain brought a premature end to the CSA One Day Challenge Division One encounter between the Itec Knights and the Hollywoodbets Dolphins shortly before the innings break at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
The Knights had won the toss and elected to bowl first and were on top in the game with the Dolphins on 205 for nine with just 2.4 overs remaining in the Dolphins innings when the umpires took the players from the field of play as the rain started to fall.
Grant Roelofsen played a lone fighting innings of 88 from 108 deliveries, which included five boundaries and a six and received some support from Marques Ackerman (43) but it was the firepower of Migael Pretorius (10-0-21-4) and Romano Terblanche (7-0-41-3) that blew the Dolphins away.
Despite the early loss of Slade van Staden (1), caught by Rilee Rossouw off Pretorius’ bowling, Roelofsen and Bradley Porteous (32) added 63 for the second wicket before Porteous was needlessly run out by Matthew Kleinveldt.
Roelofsen was then the aggressor in the third-wicket stand of 83 with Jason Smith (12) before Terblanche castled the opening batsman. Once Roelofsen departed, the Dolphins lost their way, despite Ackerman striking three fours from his 65 deliveries.
Rossouw and Terblanche combined again to dismiss Ackerman before Mbulelo Budaza (7-0-37-1) clean-bowled Smith. A procession of wickets then fell with Pretorius accounting for Eathan Bosch (4) and Odirile Modimokoane (0) while Terblanche added Prenelan Subrayen and Thando Ntini without scoring.
Both sides were playing for just pride as they were not in a position to make the final on 6 April.