The Northern Cape Heat are the CSA Division 2 4-Day series champions for a third-straight season.

On Tuesday the Heat beat the ITEC Knights by 4-wickets on day four of the final to claim a hat-trick of 4-Day titles.

The Knights were bowled out for 222-runs in their second innings during the morning session, leaving the Heat needing 126-runs for the win.

Aubrey Swanepoel top-scored for the Knights with 47-runs, while Dane Piedt scored 28 and the captain Patrick Botha scored 27.

The seasoned Basheeru-Deen Walters who scored a career-best 77-runs in the Heats first innings was the also the pick of the bowlers with 4/44 in 16.4 overs.

The Heat captain, Ernest Kemm, top-scored with 44 runs in the chase, while the Knights spinner, Monde Maqunqu took 4/18 in 7 overs.

The race for promotion to the first division of domestic cricket has heated up following the Heat’s win, and it should be a two-horse race with the Knights.

This has put them back in contention for promotion, while had the Knights won the 4-Day series they would have been guaranteed of going back up to the top-flight.

It’s all going to boil down to the CSA T20 Challenge which will get underway next week and it’s a case of the winner replacing the Tuskers in Division 1.

The T20 tournament starts on 6 March with the Heat at home to the Garden Route Badgers.

The attention now shifts to the CSA T20 Challenge which starts on 6 March when the Heat host the Garden Route Badgers in Kimberley.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport