The Eastern Cape Iinyathi came agonisingly close to collecting a second piece of silverware in 2025 but fell short by 11 runs against the Knights in the CSA Provincial T20 Knockout final at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Monday.
The Iinyathi could only manage 144/6 in reply to the Knights’ 155/7.
In the Iinyathi chase, top-order batters Jason Niemand, captain Nathan Roux and Michael Copeland put in valiant efforts with their 20-plus scores, but the Knights’ middle- and death-bowling was precise.
Roux chalked up 43 runs, Niemand made 31 and Copeland chipped in with 26.
After Wian Ruthven (10) fell in the second over with the total on 16, Niemand and Roux combined for a partnership of 76 runs.
It was this stand that had the Knights bowlers nervous, causing headaches for their captain, Malusi Siboto.
Their strike rotation was on point as they manipulated the ball into the gaps on the slow, wet outfield.
They also punished any ball that was either short or missed length.
This kept Iinyathi close to the required run rate and after 10 overs there were further concerns in the Knights dugout that the game was slipping away from them.
To slow down matters, the Knights turned to spinner Gerrit Snyman.
Siboto’s decision was bang on, as Snyman trapped the dangerous Niemand and Roux leg before wicket, both in the 12th over.
This dropped the Iinyathi scoring tempo slightly as it was hard for new batters to settle immediately.
With boundaries drying up, Mncedisi Malika (6) tried to up the ante but was caught behind by Ruan Haasbroek off the bowling of Snyman.
Malika’s dismissal left the visitors needing 52 runs in the last five overs.
Copeland and Hardus Coetzer bought some hope for the Iinyathi faithful after they took Synman for 14 runs in the 16th over.
Siboto brought himself into the attack to restrict them from getting more boundaries.
He outfoxed Coetzer into hitting a big shot, only to be caught at mid-off by Patrick Botha.
The following over, ex-Proteas bowler Sisanda Magala applied the same approach and had Copeland caught at mid-off as well by Botha.
With the last recognised Iinyathi batter, Christiaan du Toit, unavailable due to exams, it meant that their hopes lay with Thando Ntini and Alindile Mhletywa, who could not finish the job.
The Knights continued with the proceedings on Monday, the reserve day, at 92/3 after remaining play on Sunday was washed out by rain.
Isaac Dikgale and Haasbroek were the men at the crease.
They only added 31 runs to the overnight score before Kgaudi Molefe trapped Haasbroek LBW after a quickfire 23 runs off 13 balls.
Molefe went bang-bang and knocked over Tiaan van Vuuren for a two-ball duck.
The fall of the quick wickets made the going tough for the Knights from the 13th to 15th over.
Mhletywa made good use of the pressure built by his fellow bowlers and removed Seth Fledermaus.
Dikgale finished with an unbeaten 57 off 51 balls.
Mhletywa ended as the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 15.
Daily Dispatch