Match abandoned after Knights stumble to 100 for nine

The ITEC Knights, put in to bat by the Hollywoodbets Dolphins, struggled to 100 for nine wickets in 17.1 overs before rain forced their CSA T20 Challenge match to be abandoned at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Friday night.

The Dolphins are probably the more frustrated of the two teams because they knew that victory would have confirmed their semifinal status. As it is, both outfits remain second behind the runaway leaders, the Momentum Multiply Titans, but only the Titans have confirmed their semifinal placing. The Dolphins have one match to play, the Knights two.

The Dolphins’ spinners, Prenelan Subrayen and Jon-Jon Smuts, had a major impact on the Knights’ innings after Gihahn Cloete and Jacques Snyman had given them a good start with 43 off 5.4 overs. Cloete, who had struggled a little for his runs, was then brilliantly run out by Ottniel Baartman who threw down the stumps when the left-hander tried to take a quick single.

Cloete’s wicket ended the Knights’ dominance with the bat with only Snyman scoring freely, striking 32 in 17 balls before he tried to angle a Baartman delivery to third man only to be undone by a fine diving catch by wicketkeeper Grant Roelofsen.

The middle overs were controlled by Subrayen and Smuts on a slowish pitch that took a fair amount of turn at times. Aubrey Swanepoel had his off-stump knocked back by Smuts trying to make room for a back-foot drive while Patrick Kruger was comprehensively bowled by Subrayen’s arm ball.

There was a spicy interchange of words between Pite van Biljon and Subrayen which ended in the former holing out to long off. Migael Pretorius was the second Knights’ batsman to be run-out, this time following a deadly throw from the deep by Keegan Petersen and the two strike bowlers, Eathan Bosch and Daryl Dupavillon, took a wicket apiece.

After reaching 53 for one in the eighth over, the Knights fell away badly, losing their next eight wickets for 47 in a shade under 10 overs.

Smuts and Subrayen led the way for the Dolphins’ bowlers with the former showing his best form of the tournament with 2-15 while Subrayen claimed 2-28 in his four overs.

HOLLYWOODBEST DOLPHINS: Grant Roelofsen, Keegan Petersen, Jon-Jon Smuts, Tshepang Dithole, Khaya Zondo, Jason Smith, Eathan Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen (capt), Thando Ntini, Daryn Dupavillon, Ottniel Baartman

ITEC KNIGHTS: Gihahn Cloete (wk), Jacques Snyman, Raynard van Tonder, Aubrey Swanepoel (capt), Patrick Kruger, Pite van Biljon, Orapeleng Motlhoaring, Gerald Coetzee, Migael Pretorius, Mbongi Mhlanga, Mbulelo Budaza.