Dillon du Preez – SACA | South African Cricketers' Association

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KNIGHTS EDGE PAST DOLPHINS IN TENSE THRILLER

March 23, 2017March 17, 2026

The VKB Knights will host the Momentum One-Day Qualifier on Sunday after they beat the Hollywoodbets Dolphins in a low-scoring thriller at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday night.

In a see-saw affair, the visitors made heavy work of a modest 205 target and had to rely on an unbeaten last wicket stand of 27 to get them over the line with four balls to spare. Sammy Mofokeng (17) and Marchant de Lange (7) were the heroes in a remarkable game that could so easily have gone either way.

Dillon du Preez and Imran Tahir claimed 4/31 apiece for their respective sides, but it boiled down to nerves at the end as the Knights held theirs in what was essentially a quarter-final meeting.

The Central franchise will now host the Warriors in Bloemfontein in the next round, with the Multiply Titans awaiting the winner in the March 31 final.

But they had to work hard to get there, despite a disciplined performance with the ball after they had lost the toss and were asked to bowl first.

The home side were in trouble from the outset after losing in-form openers Morne van Wyk (11) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (8) inside the first six overs. The visiting bowlers continued to chip away through the likes of Shadley van Schalkwyk (2/34) and Mofokeng (2/45).

Despite the efforts of top-scorer Sarel Erwee (44), the Dolphins were in a defensive mode for most of their innings, but did manage to pass 200 thanks to Andile Phehlukwayo (39), Robbie Frylinck (36) and Prenelan Subrayen (25).

The Knights then looked to be cruising to victory thanks to an opening stand of 61 between Rudi Second (39) and Tumelo Bodibe (20). But a collapse of five wickets for 12 runs saw the visitors plunge from 61/0 to 73/5 – David Miller amongst the wickets to fall when he was dismissed by Tahir for a first ball duck.

But a 56-run sixth wicket stand between captain Pite van Biljon (44) and Aubrey Swanepoel (42) looked to have steadied the ship, and they looked in more control after the latter was part of a 42-run seventh wicket stand.

More drama followed with three more quick wickets leaving the Knights on 180/9, but Mofokeng and De Lange squeezed their side home.

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COBRAS BEAT KNIGHTS TO STAY IN THE RACE

November 23, 2015March 17, 2026

The Cape Cobras kept pace in the race for the RAM SLAM T20 play-offs after they triumphed by four wickets over the VKB Knights, who have now lost all six of their games in the competition.

On a Boland Park pitch that none of the batsmen were able to sink their teeth into, the Knights put up 140 for seven after being put into bat, which the Cobras eclipsed with three balls to spare.

While that suggested a close run chase, in truth the Cobras always looked in control after Richard Levi had scored a quick 36 and Justin Ontong had anchored the innings with his 40.

The Cobras were also grateful to Dane Paterson, who took 2 for 24 from four overs and, crucially, broke a threatening stand between Theunis de Bruyn and Andre Russell.

The Knights had slumped to 49 for three in the first half of their knock, but De Bruyn and Russell put on 51 in 34 balls to put them on track for a solid total.

Paterson ensured the pair were not around for the business end of the innings when he bowled Russell (27) and then completed the run-out of De Bruyn (45) in the same over.

With Levi scoring his runs from just 23 balls at the top of the Cobras innings, the scoreboard pressure was taken off the rest of the line-up.

Although they were pegged back by Dillon du Preez’s double strike in the ninth over and squeezed by Malusi Siboto’s canny bowling, which permitted just 15 runs in four overs, the required rate never rose above eight per over.

With Kieron Pollard’s firepower that was never a problem, and the West Indian’s unbeaten 23 from 12 balls saw the hosts over the line.

The Cobras remain in third place on the table, two points behind the second-placed Dolphins, but will feel that they are yet to hit top gear in the tournament.