CSA T20 Challenge Wrap: ITEC Knights Bow Out on a High With a Win Over Paarl Rocks

• The Knights won the match by three runs, grabbing their second win of the tournament after they successfully defended their total of 164 for six
• The Rocks only managed 161 runs for the loss of two wickets in their 20 overs
• Bowler of the match Ziyaad Abrahams's five wickets for 34 in his four overs was the first five-wicket haul of the tournament, while Pieter Malan top-scored in the match with his 60 from 51

Batter of the match, Christoffel Klijnhans (52) and his opening partner, Jacques Snyman (23), gave the Knights the ideal start to their innings. They raced to 40 in the first four overs and were looking at the possibility of scoring a huge total.

However, things changed after the dismissal of Snyman, whose quick-fire innings came to an end when he holed out to Pieter Malan off a slower ball delivery from Ziyaad Abrahams in the fourth over. Snyman faced only 13 deliveries for his 23 runs.

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Cricket

From then onwards, the Knights struggled to keep up their high-scoring tempo. The Knights, who had been going at a run rate of just above 10 an over, spent a long period of their innings trudging along at just over six an over. Their average run rate for their innings was 8.2 runs an over.

The loss of three wickets in one over to the bowling of Ziyaad Abrahams did not help their cause. Abrahams took the wickets of Klijnhans, Pite van Biljon (12) and Mangaliso Mosehle (1) in the 18th over.

The Rocks' chase did not start like a house on fire. The Malan brothers, Janneman and Pieter, had a slow start, compared to the Knights. The Rocks only managed 44 runs in the powerplay.

Proteas star Janneman Malan, who was looking good for a big score after a few fluent shots, failed to convert his 33 runs into a big knock. The 25-year-old star, who was dropped by Knights keeper Mangaliso Mosehle when he was on 26, failed to make the best of his second chance.

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Cricket

Malan was dismissed four balls after being dropped by Mosehle when he top-edged the ball while trying to sweep a Gregg Mahlokwana delivery. He was dismissed for 33 from 25.

A valiant effort from Clyde Fortuin, who was playing an attacking brand of cricket, brought the Rocks within touching distance of victory.

Like Malan, Fortuin was also dropped during his innings. He was on 39 when Knights captain Pite van Biljon could not hold on to a catch. Also like Malan, Fortuin was dismissed by Patrick Kruger for 46 from 31 a few balls later.

The Rocks elevated veteran finisher, Christiaan Jonker, to come in at number four in an attempt to gain momentum in their innings. The move did not work out as planned as Jonker, who seemed to be struggling with his running, was also struggling with hitting the ball to the boundary.

Gregg Mahlokwana was the Knights' most successful bowler with his one wicket for 24 runs in his four overs. Patrick Kruger, who only bowled one over, took the other wicket for nine runs.

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Football

CSA T20 Challenge wrap: Momentum Multiply Titans slay the North West Dragons to cement 'home' semifinal

The Momentum Multiply Titans cake-walked to a 33-run victory against the competitive but overmatched North West Dragons in their CSA T20 Challenge match at St George’s Park.

The result temporarily puts the Centurion-based side atop the log table, dependent on whether Western Province wins or loses their final round-robin match.

The men from Potchefstroom, on the other hand, will do a lot of praying that results go their way to sneak into the semifinals on Friday.