Knights relegated while Lions and Titans prepare for final battle of four-day series

Proteas Test captain Dean Elgar bats for the Titans during the CSA four-day match against the Dolphins at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on 28 March 2021 (Photo: Muzi Ntombela / BackpagePix)

By Keanan Hemmonsbey

8 Apr 2025

The domestic cricket season winds down this week with the four-day series final between the two Gauteng sides at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium.

The Warriors have a continuous pouring of rain at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein and a special performance from their skipper Senuran Muthusamy to thank for their survival in division one.

An undefeated first-innings 106, rescuing his side from 40 for the loss of four wickets as well as seven wickets in the match, including second-innings figures of five for 95, saw the Warriors beat the Dolphins in Gqeberha in the final round of four-day series fixtures.

Muthusamy, meanwhile, continuing his good week was rewarded with his first-ever Cricket South Africa contract alongside Lizaad Williams and Kwena Maphaka.

The result in Gqeberha dampened the Dolphins’ hopes of securing a place in the final, which will now be contested by the Lions and the Titans at the Wanderers starting on Thursday.

The in-form Dewald Brevis of the Titans in action against the Titans at the Wanderers Stadium on 8 November 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)

The Knights, meanwhile, needed a full haul of points against the log leaders the Lions if they were to secure their place in the division for a second season.

But no play was possible across the four days in Bloemfontein due to inclement weather, which means the Knights will go back down to division two, having only come up from relegation last season.

Although the Knights finished sixth in the four-day series, above the North West Dragons and the Warriors, their white-ball form cost them. They finished bottom of the CSA T20 Challenge standings, and fifth on the 50-over standings.

In total, they won only six matches across all three competitions all season.

The Tuskers will again replace the Knights in division one, as they did in the 2023/24 season.

The KwaZulu-Natal Inland side claimed all three trophies in division two this season, winning the T20 competition while sharing the 50-over and four-day prizes with bad weather ruining both final outings.

Wrapping up

Outside of Gqeberha, the only other match of the final round of matches of the season to be played was the Titans against Boland at SuperSport Park, where only 135 overs were bowled.

The Titans made the most of the little time they had in the middle by bowling Boland out for as few runs as possible — 252 — before piling on the runs expeditiously.

Bjorn Fortuin of the Lions during day 3 against the Warriors at the Wanderers Stadium on 30 November. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo images)

Proteas Test captain Dean Elgar bats for the Titans against the Dolphins at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on 28 March 2021. (Photo: Muzi Ntombela / BackpagePix)

Rivaldo Moonsamy struck an attacking 117 off 125 balls, Dewald Brevis plundered an unbeaten 80 off 57 balls and Neil Brand hit 61 off 63 deliveries. It meant that the Titans claimed enough bowling and batting points to secure second place, although it ended up not mattering much as the Dolphins, who were chasing them, lost their final match.

The Lions, who have been flying high all season as the only undefeated red-ball outfit, will head into the final as favourites against the Titans, whose batters are capable of blowing teams out of the water, while their bowling has been less threatening.

Despite the competition being called a four-day series, the final will take place across five days from Thursday to Monday.

Final

Brevis has continued his coming-of-age season with the willow with the fourth-most runs this season (547). His runs have come at the scarcely believable strike rate of 88.65.

Titans skipper Brand has also seen the runs flow off his bat, contributing the second highest number of runs to his side with 424.

The runs have been slightly more spread out for the Lions, with experienced middle-order batter Zubayr Hamza leading the charge with 425 at an average of 53.12.

Opener Dominic Hendricks has also done well, with exactly 400 runs for the season.

Proteas spinner Bjorn Fortuin, who was snubbed from the Proteas’ contract list, has been having a season to remember with the bat, striking 335 runs in only eight innings with an average creeping up to 50.

He’s only picked up 11 wickets in the same number of innings, with the Lions’ seamers finding more joy this season. Tshepo Moreki, Lutho Sipamla and Codi Yusuf are all tied on 19 wickets for the season, the combined seventh highest figures for all bowlers.

For the Titans, their most threatening fast bowler has been Junior Dala, with 18 scalps.

The Lions are likely to also be boosted by Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma playing in the final. Bavuma was set to play against the Knights before the match was rained off. DM

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Wrapping up

Final