Dane Piedt’s Brilliant Spell Goes in Vain as Boland Edge Knights
Boland started its CSA T20 Challenge campaign with a win by 13 runs over Knights. The team went on to defend 158 runs total at their own home-ground. Dane Piedt tried to turn the tables with his three-wicket haul, but it was not enough.
Pitch and Weather
The match will be played at Boland Park, which will be offering a balanced T20 surface. The new ball will be able to provide reasonable pace and carry to the seam options. As the match progresses, the pitch wears down, which will bring spinners and cutters into play during the middle overs. Its large outfield will make straight hitting more risky, as players will demand more for the square boundaries. Humidity should remain moderate, with temperatures around 17–21°C and light to moderate Winelands winds. A competitive total in the first innings would be in the range of 155 to 165.
Toss
Boland won the toss and decided to bat first. Neil Brand aims to use his batting depth and score runs at this challenging venue, before the pitch starts to favour the bowlers.
Lineups
Boland: Neil Brand (C), Gavin Kaplan, Lizaad Williams, Ferisco Adams, Yves Kamanzi, Ethan Cunningham, Lehan Botha, Nathan Jacobs, Ruan Terblanche, Blayde Capell, Imran Manack
Knights: Jacques Snyman, Jonathan Bird, Cole Abrahams, George van Heerden, Gihahn Cloete, Ruan Haasbroek, Tiaan van Vuuren, Emmanuel Motswiri, Malusi Siboto, Dane Piedt (C), Mbongiseni Mhlanga
Match Report
Boland went on to bat first and posted 158/8 after 20 overs against the Knights. Neil Brand and Gavin Kaplan started well against the new ball, as they went on to add 42 runs in the powerplay itself. They used the straight boundary well, while also negotiating against the new ball movement.
Brand went on to rebuild with Yves Kamanzi, as Knights skipper went on to introduce Dane Piedt to slow down the scoring rate. His off spin was compiled with the cutters of Malusi Siboto, which made square hitting difficult. Brand went on to score 46 runs off 38 balls before losing his wicket, as Dane Piedt removed him to end the 51-run stand.
Boland went on to accelerate in the end, as Ferisco Adams went on to score 29 runs off 20 balls. Knights brought back Dane Piedt for the 17th over, as Siboto used his wide lines and cutters to slow down scoring. The turning point arrived when Nathan Jacobs went on to score 18 runs off eight balls after being promoted to bat, before losing his wicket to Dane Piedt.
Adams lost his wicket in the 19th over, as Boland were now dependent on the tail to score runs. Blayde Capell went on bring a couple of boundaries in the final over.
Knights had a brisk start in the chase, as the team added 47 runs in the powerplay, with Jonathan Bird smashing through the square boundaries. Boland went on to move towards Imran Manack after the powerplay itself, which changed the chase to a great extent. With his leg spin, he went on to remove Bird and Cole Abrahams in quick succession.
George van Heerden resisted with 38, but Lizaad Williams returned for a tight 18th over, conceding only five. Knights lost three wickets late and finished on 145 for 9, giving Boland a 13-run victory.
Player of the Match
Dane Piedt won the Player of the Match award for his spell of 3 wickets for 25 runs, which helped to control the acceleration of Boland.