The Warriors and Knights will clash in Bloemfontein on Sunday to determine who meets the Titans in the One Day Cup final in Centurion. 

The Knights, having won a thrilling encounter against the Dolphins on Thursday, guaranteed a home qualifier by finishing second in the overall standings.

The Warriors, who needed a victory to reach the playoff, defeated the Lions to end third on the log, knocking out the Dolphins, who spent the majority of the season at the summit.

The teams will meet at the Mangaung Oval as they hunt a spot in the final.

Thursday’s dramatic win at Kingsmead saw the Knights close to defeat at nine down with 20-odd runs to get. Their coach Nicky Boje commended his side’s spirit, which carried them through.

‘It was quite stressful there at one stage, but we managed to pull it off in the end,’ said Boje. ‘There were some guys that played really well, and it showed that you don’t have to always rely on the same guys.’

Despite their home advantage against the Warriors, Boje  is expecting a tough affair. ‘They’re a really good side, with some real quality players, but I feel it will all boil down to how both sides play on the day.’

Warriors boss Malibongwe Maketa was thrilled with the reaction of his players on Thursday night, particularly after their demolition by the in-form Titans earlier in the week, when they fell for the lowest score of the season of 147.

‘It was a great reaction and will give us a huge amount of confidence going into this next stage,’ he said. ‘We’ve been lucky enough to have played in a few big games like this one in the past few seasons, so we will draw on that experience to help us get through.’

Assessing the Knights, whom the Warriors beat in both league meetings this term, Maketa felt they would present a huge challenge for his side.

‘Play-off games are about who pitches up on the day and both sides will have an equal chance at the start,’ Maketa added.

‘They will be confident because of the amount of close games they’ve had, so it will be tight.’

Both sides will stay true to the XI which fitness them to the playoff.