Boland clinch thriller over Knights via super over

Goldrush Boland secured a valuable and tense super-over victory over the Knights in a thrilling CSA T20 Challenge encounter at a warm Boland Park in Paarl on Friday evening.

Keith Dudgeon restricted the Knights to just a single run from four balls in the super over with Dian Forrester being run out by Clyde Fortuin and Patrick Botha being caught in the deep by Pieter Malan.

In reply, Boland needed just two runs, and lost Grant Roelofsen first ball, bowled by Aaron Phangiso, but Clyde Fortuin guided the next ball for the winning runs.

The super over was the result of the match being tied, with Boland being bowled out for 141 in 19.5 overs after Knights captain Dane Piedt had won the toss and elected to bowl first.

In response, the Knights took the game deep thanks to a wonderful stand between Forrester and Botha but Dudgeon managed to defend six runs off the final six balls to send the game into overtime as the visitors ended on 141 for four.

The Knights were looking down and out at 64 for three in the 12th over, however, Forrester and Botha added 71 from only 47 balls with some excellent running and terrible fielding by the hosts, who dropped six catches during the innings.

The Knights, who were looking odds-on favourites to win their opening game against the Auto Investments North West Dragons before going down by three runs, were again looking odds-on favourites tonight, needing seven runs off the final six balls of the innings with two set batsmen.

But Dudgeon (4-0-22-2) clean-bowled Botha (37), who had struck two fours and a six from 27 balls, with the first delivery and then defended six runs from five balls. Forrester, who scored an unbeaten 46 against the Dragons, was again at the heart of a failed chase, ending unbeaten on 41 from 28 balls with just two boundaries.

EARLY STRUGGLES

Dudgeon had removed the dangerous Jacques Snyman for just 11 at the start as the Knights struggled in the power play, managing just 29 runs for the loss of Snyman’s wicket, compared to Boland’s 53 for two.

Shaun von Berg (3-0-27-1) bowled well in his first two overs, having Gihahn Cloete caught in the deep by Dudgeon for 17 from 24 balls. Lesego Senokwane (24) tried his best from 25 balls but top-edged a ball from Siya Mahima (2-012-1) to be caught by Fortuin behind the stumps.

Botha and Forrester’s partnership was full of excitement as the pair were dropped four times while turning one into twos on a regular basis. But once Botha, who went for the big heave-ho, departed, Forrester was unable to take his side over the line.

Boland seemed to have posted a below-par total of 141 with the average day-night first-innings total being around 152. Roelofsen struck eight boundaries in a 38-ball knock of 51, his sixth of the CSA T20 Challenge, while Fortuin gave the innings some impetus with a 12-ball bashing that realised 24 runs, with three fours and a six.

The Knights bowled poorly up front, conceding no less than 11 wides in the innings, seven of which came in the first three overs. Despite losing Pieter Malan (10) and Gavin Kaplan (4) early, Roelofsen and Fortuin clubbed 49 runs from 30 balls for the third wicket, before Fortuin was cleaned up by Phangiso (4-0-20-1).

FINAL-OVER HAT-TRICK

Forrester (2.5-0-30-3), who only bowled one wide, but went for 14 runs in his opening over, finished off strongly, claiming a hattrick in the final over of the innings, having Dudgeon (5) caught by Botha on the fence, castling Imraan Manack and trapping Mahima in front.

Dane Piedt, who seemed to hold himself back for far too long, grabbed the wickets of Michael Copeland (1) and Roelofsen in one over, before ending with 2-18 from his four overs, while the wily Malusi Siboto ended with 2-23, alongside Clayton Bosch’s 2-16.

The men from Bloemfontein will have to do some soul-searching having gone down twice by narrow margins from seemingly winnable positions. The Knights remain pointless after two matches while Boalnd move to six points from two starts.

The home side travel up-country to take on the Dragons on Sunday while the Knights travel to Gqeberha where they take on the Dafabet Warriors.

GOLDRUSH BOLAND: Grant Roelofsen, Pieter Malan, Clyde Fortuin (capt, wk), Gavin Kaplan, Mickey Copeland, Ferisco Adams, Keith Dudgeon, Shaun von Berg, Imraan Manack, Aya Gqamane, Siyabonga Mahima.

KNIGHTS: Jacques Snyman, Gihahn Cloete (wk), Lesego Senokwane, Patrick Botha, Dian Forrester, Garnett Tarr, Clayton Bosch, Aaron Phangiso, Dane Piedt (capt), Malusi Siboto, Johan van Dyk.