Dragons cheated by the rain as Knights go through to final

The North West Dragons will consider their fate in Thursday's second semifinal of the CSA Provincial T20 Knock Out as a travesty of justice.

Having raced to 42 without loss in 2.3 overs chasing 128 to win, they were ultimately cheated by the rain and it is the ITEC Knights who will face the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in Friday’s final.

Technically the teeming rain created a No Result as it required five overs of the second innings to make a legitimate match.

Given that, and given there are no extra days, the rules deemed that the Knights were the winners as they had the better overall run rate for the tournament.

Try explaining that to North West openers Wesley Marshall and Eben Botha. The two men slugged seven fours and a six between them in the two and a half overs available to them bowled by Migael Pretorius and Gerald Coetzee.

But when the rain came it was heavy and wasn’t going to stop and brave North West, the underdogs in the match, were finally beaten by the elements.

Nevertheless, they did extremely well to get to the semifinals, having beaten two favoured teams, the Eastern Storm and Gbets Rocks by one run and three runs respectively – both thrilling finishes in which they had kept their nerve under the severest pressure.

Earlier, the Dragons produced a superb bowling performance to restrict the Knights to a modest 127 for seven in 19 overs.

A 20-minute rain break in the 18th over of the Knights’ innings meant that the match would be restricted to 19 overs per side.

It was only a dazzling cameo at the death by paceman Coetzee that enabled the heavy favourites to reach their modest total. Coetzee blasted two sixes and three fours in his 12-ball 29.

PERFECT CONTROL

The Knights won the toss and took first strike but were unable to adjust to a slow, uneven surface that perfectly suited left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy who claimed the wickets of Patrick Kruger and key man Farhaan Behardien for just 12 runs in his four overs.

It was the second-most economical return in the competition so far. The former Dolphin, controlling his pace and flight perfectly, turned the ball away from the right-handers with Kruger, playing too early, slicing him to point, while a frustrated Behardien played on off the inside edge.

Paceman Chad Classen was also effective, bowling his four overs straight through up front for just 17 runs. Although he was more expensive, conceding 37 runs in his four overs, Eldred Hawken was the top wicket-taker for the Dragons with three scalps.

The key wicket, though, was taken by seamer Lwandiswa Zuma with his first delivery.

The Knights’ Rilee Rossouw, who has scored heavily in the tournament, played way too early to a length ball outside his off-stump and only succeeded in spiralling the ball high to point where Lesego Senokwane took a good catch.

Rossouw, who had already been dropped at third man off Classen, also found it difficult to score freely with his 15 runs coming in 16 balls.

Knights’ skipper, Pite van Biljon, tried his best to make progress, striking a couple of sixes, but just when he looked to have adjusted to the vagaries of the pitch, he was yorked by Hawken for 29 in 24 balls.

It was then the turn of Duan Jansen to strike, having Wandile Makwetu taken behind by wicketkeeper Nicky van den Bergh.

When the players went off for rain, the tall left-arm seamer had taken 1-8 in 2.2 overs, but Coetzee rather spoilt his figures by taking a further 15 runs off the rest of his third over when the players returned from the rain break.

Sadly for the Dragons, who were poised for a famous victory, there was to be no return to the field for the players after the rain came down a second time.

ITEC KNIGHTS: Patrick Kruger, Raynard van Tonder, Rilee Rossouw, Farhaan Behardien, Pite van Biljon (capt), Wandile Makwetu (wk), Migael Pretorius, Gerald Coetzee, Gregory Mahlokwana, Nealan van Heerden, Alfred Mothoa

NORTH WEST DRAGONS: Wesley Marshall, Eben Botha, Shaylen Pillay, Nicky van den Bergh (capt & wk), Senuran Muthusamy, Lesego Senokwane, Duan Jansen, Eldred Hawken, Caleb Seleka, Chad Classen, Lwandiswa Zuma