Cavaliers miss out on reserve fifinal
KNYSNA - For the third consecutive year, the Knysna Cavaliers' second team has missed the opportunity to qualify for the final of the SWD Reserve League 2. They lost to George at Loerie Park on Saturday 27 January. This while the first team lost to Union Stars 1 and Plett Pioneers triumphed over Mossel Bay in the Premier League.
Cavaliers B has reached the semifinal stage of the Reserve League 2 competition in each of the past two seasons, losing against Harlequins Forces C in 2021/22 and then Sussex C in 2022/23. They would have undoubtedly been hoping that the 2023/24 season would be different, as they came up against George B for the first time since the 2019/20 season.
George B meanwhile would have hoped to reach the Reserve League 2 final for the first time since the 2021/22 season when they lost to Harlequins Forces C.
It was a mouthwatering encounter on Saturday, and the visitors won the toss, choosing to bat first. George opening batter Christo Stander led the charge for his team with 54 runs while Lourens Erasmus, De Wet Steyn and Etienne van der Merwe contributed with 28 runs each. Werner Mels was the pick of the Cavaliers bowlers with four wickets for 31 runs in seven overs.
Kyle Groome contributed with three and Byron Jantjies with two of his own.
Cavaliers got off to a decent start in their run chase, opening batter Jannie Cremer scoring 36 before he was dismissed with the team on 52-1.
The Cavaliers batsmen struggled to build on Cremer's momentum as only Rudolph Gerber (26) and Groome (19) got going with runs. Leroy Nortje and Steyn shared the spoils among George's bowlers with three wickets each. Van der Merwe took two of his own and Leon Marais and Kevin Owens contributed with wickets too.
George B won the encounter by 56 runs and will now face Mossel Bay B in the final at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn on Saturday 3 February.
In the Premier League matches, Cavaliers welcomed Union Stars 1 to Knysna, playing on the Knysna High School sport fields on Saturday 27 January. The home side was bowled out for only 90, and the men from Oudtshoorn succeeded in their chase to manage a five-wicket victory.
Plett Pioneers took on Mossel Bay at the Ashford Oval in Plettenberg Bay and the visitors batted first, being bowled out for only 67. Pioneers made light work of the chase to earn a 10-wicket victory.
In the only local SWD Women's League 2 match of the weekend,
Pioneers faced Dysselsdorp on Saturday at the New Horizons Sports Ground. Pioneers batted first, scoring 125 all-out. Dysselsdorp couldn't reach h the target though, being bowled out for 24, with Pioneers winning by 99 runs.
This marked the end of the roundrobin fixtures in the SWD Women's League 2, with the final coming up this weekend. It will be Sussex and Cavaliers competing in the final, to be played at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn on Sunday 4 February.