Cavaliers secure playoff spot

CRICKET NEWS - The Knysna Cavaliers have secured their place in the SWD Premier League playoffs, courtesy of a triumph over George Cricket Club at Loerie Park on Saturday 18 February.

Their victory, along with one for Union Stars and a loss for Pacaltsdorp United, adds some exciting uncertainty to the rear end of the round-robin stage of the league.

Heading into the weekend, the Cavaliers' first team lay in third place on the log, 12 points ahead of fourth-placed Harlequins Forces and seven points behind second-placed Union Stars.

If Harlequins lost their encounter with Union Stars on Sunday, and Cavaliers triumphed over George on Saturday, the men from Knysna would cement their spot in the playoffs. As fate would have it, this is exactly what happened.

This was coupled with a surprising loss for Pacaltsdorp United, away to Mossel Bay who they faced at Van Riebeeck Stadium on Saturday. (Read Mossel Bay shocks Pacaltsdorp United).

This has shaken things up at the top of the Premier League, as every one of the top three teams now stands a chance to automatically qualify for the final. To do so, they must finish in top spot.

To add to that, as if the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock himself had written the script of the league, each of the top three teams must still face one another in the final rounds of the round-robin stage.

Cavaliers and Pacaltsdorp face off this weekend, Union Stars and Pacaltsdorp do battle next week, and the week thereafter Union Stars and Cavaliers take on one another.

Union Stars face a resurgent and in-form Mossel Bay this weekend too, which sets quite a challenge. Next weekend Cavaliers take on Plettenberg Bay Pioneers, their rivals to the east, who are fighting to avoid relegation.

In the final round Pacaltsdorp United must play George, a team that never goes down without a fight. All in all, each of the top three teams have a stern test lying in wait for them in the last three rounds of the Premier League.

Hayden Sweet plays a forward defensive shot for Cavaliers.

Cavaliers vs George

George captain Jaco Fourie won the toss and chose to bowl first at Loerie Park in Knysna. Early inroads by the George bowlers yielded positive results for them, but a 26 from Cavaliers skipper JP Ellis and a resilient 27* from Francois Bonthuys in the lower order helped Cavaliers reach 129 all-out.

AB van der Walt (19) and Mesuli Vuba (13) aided the cause too. Sintu Majiza and Grant Simpson stood out with the ball for George, each taking three wickets. Henry Griffiths chipped in with two wickets while Fourie and Simon Venter took one wicket apiece.

PHOTO GALLERY: Knysna Cavaliers triumph over George Cricket Club

Just as their George counterparts did, Cavaliers' bowlers claimed early wickets to stunt George's run chase. Griffiths played a defiant knock at number four though, scoring 34 off 102 deliveries to keep George's hopes alive. He received little help from his batting partners however, with Jaco van Greunen (13) and Marius Fourie (10) the only other batsmen to reach double figures before George were bowled out for 93.

Irvin Campher was Cavaliers' top bowler, taking four wickets for 16 runs in 8,5 overs. Blake Linder provided support with two wickets while Lutho Ngqongwa, Bonthuys and Van der Walt all took a wicket each. The Cavaliers won the game by 36 runs.

Cavaliers top-scorer Francois Bonthuys plays a square cut.