The Free State Knights beat the KZN Dolphins by seven runs in the T20 Knock Out final in Kimberley on Friday.
Rain had saved the Knights from a likely semi-final defeat to the North West Dragons on Thursday and they made the most of that luck by winning the decider 24 hours later.
The Knights posted a commanding total of 176-5, with Patrick Kruger’s 61 off 53 and an electric knock from captain Pite van Biljon (42 off 25) setting up a record chase for the Dolphins. They ultimately fell short of the target to give Free State their first white-ball title in 10 years.
Heading into the game, both sides were yet to taste defeat. The Dolphins had a perfect record with five wins out of five, while the Knights won three games and had two rained out, including the semi-final.
After losing the toss, the men from Bloemfontein were asked to bat first and suffered an early setback as Daryn Dupavillon (2-24) had Raynard van Tonder caught for a duck in the first over.
Opening batsman Kruger and the tournament’s leading run-scorer Rilee Rossouw (28) put on 36 for the second wicket, with the Dolphins bowlers keeping it tight from both ends during the powerplay before Thando Ntini (2-46) removed the big scalp in the sixth over.
The run rate improved drastically when Van Biljon arrived in the middle, with the skipper playing a pulsating innings to take the game to the Dolphins as he smashed three sixes and three fours to help his side advance to 123-3 with five overs to go.
Having stuck around for more than two-thirds of the allotted 20 overs, Kruger began playing with more freedom, dispatching four fours and two sixes to reach his eighth half-century and combined well with expert finisher Farhaan Behardien (29*) to put the Knights in the driving seat.
The Dolphins required 8.8 runs an over and their chase got off to a slow start with the Knights bowlers striking early to leave their opponents 15-2 after three overs.
The experienced pair of Sarel Erwee (27) and Khaya Zondo (43) then rebuilt the innings, adding 51 runs for the next wicket, before Alfred Mothoa (2-27) and Nealan van Heerden (1-24) pegged back the batsmen in quick succession.
With the scoreboard pressure mounting and runs hard to come by, Bryce Parsons (35) and Jason Smith (36*) fought hard to keep their side in the game with tireless running between the wickets, managing to notch up 52 runs together to reach 144-4 after 18 overs.
Going into the final two overs with still 33 runs required for victory, Parsons and Smith attempted to tee off to rescue the contest but were stopped in their tracks as Migael Pretorius (3-30) started the 19th over with two wickets in two balls.
Despite two more boundaries off the unbeaten bat of Smith, Alfred Mothoa defended 21 runs in the final over to seal a memorable victory for the Knights, who are the first team to lift silverware under the new domestic structure.
