The Titans were initially set to host the playoff at SuperSport Park, having finished second on the log when the round-robin stage concluded on Sunday. As the third-placed team, the Warriors were set to travel to Pretoria for the match, but a major twist changed the scenario.

During the first round of the competition, the Warriors thrashed the Dolphins by 126 runs at Kingsmead in Durban, securing a bonus-point victory. However, the Warriors fielded only two Black African players in that match – Andile Mokgakane and Sinethemba Qeshile. Following a comprehensive review and investigation, the CSA Board determined that the Warriors had failed to meet the stipulated transformation requirements.

The breach specifically pertained to Clause 3.2.2 of the CSA Administrative Conditions, which requires teams to field at least three Black African players in the starting eleven. As a result, the Warriors were docked all five points earned from that match and handed a financial sanction, with 50% of the penalty suspended for five years. This suspended portion will only be activated if a similar breach occurs within that period.

Consequently, the Warriors have dropped to fourth place on the log, to 16 points, while the Dolphins were awarded those five points, boosting them from 18 to 23 points and moving them up to second place, ahead of the Titans. This change means that the Dolphins will now host the qualifier against the Titans on Wednesday.

Titans captain Neil Brand. Photo: Morgan Piek

Dolphins coach and former Knights fast bowler, Quinton Friend, told OFM Sport that while this is not the way they would have liked to reach the playoffs, the rules are there to be followed. “You know, to be honest, as you say, there are rules, and obviously, they need to be adhered to,” said Friend.

“From that point of view, we don’t really get involved in any of these discussions. It was a decision made by Cricket South Africa, and again, they are probably just enforcing the rules that have been in place.

“That being said, the Dolphins have done really well in the last four games – winning four in a row. We’re pretty happy with how we finished in the group stages.

“We didn’t start the competition well, but we built some nice momentum as it progressed. I think we’re fortunate to be in a position where we finished strong, and we’ve now been presented with an opportunity to host the playoff in Durban.”

The playoff will take place on Wednesday, with the winner between the Dolphins and the Titans progressing to the final against log-leaders Boland in Paarl. The qualifier at Kingsmead is scheduled to get underway at 13:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg