The Knights hoodoo at home continued last night with a 6-wicket defeat to the Dolphins in the CSA T20 Challenge. This has dented the Knights’ chances of reaching the semi-finals of the competition, but Boland’s 11-run win against the fourth-placed Warriors still means that they are in for the slightest of chances of advancing to the last four.

The Dolphins and Proteas allrounder, Jason Smith, who recently scored a career-best 91 runs against Ireland in Abu Dhabi in the 3rd One-Day International, was the star of the show with both bat and ball.

The Knights had a bat first and after a reasonably good start were restricted to 155/9 in their 20 overs with Jacques Snyman scoring 58 runs while Rilee Rossouw scored 20. At the backend of the innings, the seamer Johan van Dyk scored 14 to give the Knights a slightly better target to defend.

Smith was the star with the ball for the Dolphins with 3/21. He took the crucial wickets of Snyman, Rossouw and Aubrey Swanepoel, who also scored 14.

Smith then hit six fours and two sixes as he scored 65 not out off 44 balls, while Marques Ackerman scored 28 and Slade van Staden contributed with 25* as the Dolphins chased down the total with nine balls to spare.

Sithembile Langa was the pick of the Knights’ bowlers with 2/34 in 3.3 overs, while the captain Aaron Phangiso recorded figures of 0/22 in 4 overs, and Aubrey Swanepoel had 0/13 in 2 overs.

‘The knock against Ireland has given me quite some confidence’

Smith told OFM Sport that his 91 runs against Ireland in Abu Dhabi helped his confidence.

“It feels quite amazing – the guys were quite positive and it obviously helps a lot getting some good results against good teams,” said Smith. “The Knights have been playing some good cricket, and the same with Western Province, so it’s good to get across the line against the two of them.

“I would say that the knock against Ireland has given me quite some confidence. I feel like I’m in a good space with my batting, and I think I’m just enjoying my cricket and I’m not really too worried about anything else.”

Meanwhile, at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, Western Province stunned the Lions with a 4-wicket win to throw them right back into the mix. The North West Dragons, Lions and Titans are all through to the semi-finals, while the other teams can still claim the last available spot.

On Friday night the Knights will face Western Province in Cape Town and this game at Newlands is scheduled to start at 18:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg