The Flexbrands Knights will effectively be playing a home final away from home in Sunday’s CSA Division 2 One-Day Cup showpiece.
Despite suffering a heavy 176-run defeat to the Mpumalanga Rhinos on Saturday, the Knights did enough to secure hosting rights for the final – but with a twist: it won’t be played in Bloemfontein.
The decider will instead take place at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley, against the Eastern Cape Iinyathi who beat the Mpumalanga Rhinos on Wednesday in the Qualifier that was played at Buffalo Park in East London.
The Mangaung Oval is unavailable due to the Flexbrands Knights Music Festival taking place at the venue on Saturday. There had been hopes of staging the final at the University of the Free State Oval, but that option is also not possible.
Kimberley has therefore emerged as the next best alternative. Otherwise, the final would have had to be played in either East London or Nelspruit. While not ideal, several Knights players have previously plied their trade in Kimberley, making it familiar territory for both the squad and coaching staff.
The Knights are chasing a first domestic treble in South Africa since the 1984/85 season, when the “Mean Machine” the then Transvaal, famously swept the board by winning the Currie Cup (4-Day Series), the One-Day Cup (Benson & Hedges), and the Nissan Shield. Earlier this season, the Knights lifted both the T20 Knockout and the 4-Day Series.
The final at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley is scheduled to get underway at 10:00 on Sunday morning. – MORGAN PIEK
