The South African domestic season concluded on Sunday and this does bring an end to player’s contracts throughout the country.

For the newly dethroned Sunfoil Series champions, this brings a close on a chapter for at least four players at the Knights, of which three of them are internationals.

The biggest name to be leaving the team is that of the hard-hitting Proteas batsman, David Miller. The player who is renowned and feared throughout the cricketing world is believed to be heading back to the Dolphins in KwaZulu-Natal.

The departure of the nationally contracted player comes as a huge blow to the side, however, seeing that Miller actually commuted between Durban and Bloemfontein, for the past two seasons, it hardly comes as a surprise.

The Knights captain for the past two seasons, Theunis de Bruyn, will also be leaving the side and OFM Sport has it on good authority that Proteas middle order batsman, will be heading back to the newly crown domestic four-day champions, the Titans. De Bruyn, joined the Knights from the Titans two seasons ago. Seeing that the player has been involved with the national set up for the largest part of this past season, the captaincy of the side shouldn’t be an issue with both Rudi Second and Pite van Biljon being more than capable leaders.

Thirdly the fiery former Proteas fast bowler, Marchant de Lange, will leaving the team as well after two seasons. The opening bowler formed arguably the most formidable bowling partnership in domestic cricket alongside the Proteas seamer, Duanne Olivier. Apart from his aggressive bowling the team will certainly miss his big personality both on and off the field. At this stage it is unclear where De Lange will be plying his trade domestically.

Fourth and not the least the team will be bidding a sad farewell to a player who is truly a stalwart of Knights cricket over numerous years. The spinning all-rounder and former captain of the side, Werner Coetsee, has drawn the curtain on a truly outstanding domestic career after 16-years of first class cricket.

The 35-year-old, Coetsee, who scored ten first class centuries, with a highest score of 202* and 37 half centuries to add to that, and also claimed 353 wickets, was the go-to guy in the team for several years. Arguably the friendliest cricketer in South Africa, he had a knack for striking with the ball at just the right times while was able to score the important runs to win the big games. While Coetsee hasn’t played all that much cricket for the Knights of late, he will definitely be missed by the team.

At this stage it is a still a bit too early to tell who all will be joining the team in the coming months, but it is understood that the 17-year-old Saint Andrews School fast bowler and number three batsman, Gerald Coetzee, has already been contracted at the Knights on a semi-pro contract to start off with. Earlier this year Coetzee was named in the ICC’s U19 World team following a brilliant U19 World Cup campaign in New Zealand. Just a week ago Coetzee was part of the Saints First XI which won the Coca-Cola National Schools T20 title at the Tuks Oval in Pretoria.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport