The ITEC Knights suffered their first defeat of the CSA T20 Challenge on Sunday after losing by 20-runs to the Limpopo Impalas in Bloemfontein.
The Impalas had a bat first at the Mangaung Oval and they scored 176/3 in their 20 overs with the captain Ruan Haasbroek scoring 63 not out, while Sizwe Masondo scored 59.
Haasbroek hit 8 fours and 2 sixes in his innings, while Masondo in turn played a slower innings, but was certainly the anchor for the visitors.
Nipho Mpungose was the pick of the Knights bowlers with 2/29 in his allotted 4 overs. The captain Aubrey Swanepoel in turn took 1/31 in his four overs.
In reply, Jacques Snyman scored 73-runs as the Knights were restricted to 156/8, while Patrick Botha’s 19-runs was the next highest score. Snyman struck 5 fours and 2 sixes in his innings. Swanepoel hasn’t enjoyed a good time at the crease in home games in the competition as he was dismissed for a first-ball duck for a second time in two games in Bloemfontein.
At the backend of the Knights innings, the Proteas spinner, Dane Piedt, hit 18 not out off seven balls, but it was too little, too late.
Don Radebe was the star with the ball for the team from Polokwane after taking an outstanding 5/25 in 4 overs.
The Knights coach, JP Triegaardt, told OFM Sport that better discipline with the bat could have got them over the line.
“If you look at our dismissals, there were six wickets where our batters played across the line,” said Triegaardt.
“They were bowling across the line, so it was ill discipline and with better options we could have found ourselves on the other side of the wire to be honest.”
On Wednesday the Knights will face the Eastern Storm at the Mangaung Oval. This game is scheduled to start at 13:00.
Morgan Piek
