Dillon du Preez (4-31) and Pite van Biljon (44 off 64 balls) grabbed a home playoff for the Knights as they beat the Dolphins by one wicket in Kingsmead on Thursday.
With the Warriors confirming a playoff spot by beating the Lions, it became a knock-out clash between the two sides in Durban.
After losing the toss, the visitors got off to their desired start, thanks to a brilliant seam attack, spearheaded by a four-for by Du Preez.
Marchant de Lange (1-48) and Shadley van Schalkwyk (2-34) started things off to reduce the Dolphins to 28-2 (5.5), dismissing Vaughn van Jaarsveld (8) and Morne van Wyk (11). Du Preez then took a double in the 12th over to restrict the Dolphins to 54-4 (11.6).
Sarel Erwee (44) put on a 50-run partnership with Andile Phehlukwayo to take the hosts to 104, but Erwee was dismissed six runs short of 50 by Sammy Mofokeng (2-45).
Phehlukwayo (39 off 68 balls) pushed the Dolphins to 133, but he was trapped lbw by Aubrey Swanepoel (1-31).
Mofokeng and Van Schalkwyk took their second scalps, putting the squeeze on the Dolphins at 195-7 (48.2), but it was the double from Du Preez in the final over to dismiss Robbie Frylinck (36) and Imran Tahir (1) which bundled the Dolphins out for 204 with two balls to spare.
The Knights openers matched their solid start with the ball as Rudi Second and Tumelo Bodibe put 61 on the board. The visitors seemed to be in cruise control until five quick wickets shocked their top order.
Sibonelo Makhanya struck first to dismiss Bodibe (20), followed by a run out off his bowling to dismiss Keegan Petersen in the 14th over.
Imran Tahir ripped through the opposition and claimed three wickets in seven overs, conceding 20 runs to throttle the Knights. David Miller (0), Second (39) and Luthando Mnyanda (0) all fell victim to the No 1 ODI bowler, as the visitors crumbled to 75-5 (19 overs).
Van Biljon battled on with Swanepoel to steady the ship with a 56-run partnership, but the Knights captain could not hold out, losing his wicket on 44.
Tahir finished with figures of 4-31 by ending the 42-run partnership between Swanepoel and Van Schalkwyk, bowling the latter on 20, as the tables turned again in the Dolphins’ favour.
Frylinck (1-35) dismissed Swanepoel on 42 and Phehlukwayo (1-46) dismissed Du Preez (6), setting up a nail-biting finish.
A final push from Mofokeng (17 off 16) got the Knights over the line as they claimed a one-wicket victory with four balls to spare, with a De Lange drive for four pushing them to 207-9.
In PE, The Warriors guaranteed their playoff spot with a win over the Lions. Jon-Jon Smuts put in a good shift with bat and ball with 4-25 to help bundle out the Lions for 154, and then scoring a match-winning 51 as they beat their opponents by 36 runs (D/L method).
The Knights will play the Warriors in a semifinal clash in Bloemfontein on Saturday to determine who will face the Titans in Centurion on 31 March in the final.
Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
