The mediation process took place in Johannesburg on Thursday. In the interest of the game, the Free State Cricket Union (FSCU) agreed to the relegation and will not compete in Division 1 next season.

While the Knights had a top lawyer representing them, the union decided that rather than incur further legal costs by proceeding to arbitration, it would be better to redirect resources towards cricket development in the province.

This is the path the FSCU has chosen in order to give itself the best possible chance of earning promotion back to Division 1 in the near future.

The Knights had planned for the possibility of relegation and contracted players with a worst-case scenario in mind. Fortunately, they managed to retain the majority of their squad. Many players were prepared to take a salary cut, having bought into the union’s long-term vision.

Gihahn Cloete. Photo: Morgan Piek

That said, the Knights will lose all-rounder Dian Forrester to the North West Dragons and batter Lesego Senokwane to the Titans. A few players on lower-tier contracts are also moving on – Garnett Tarr will join the Northern Cape Heat, while Aubrey Swanepoel heads to the Mpumalanga Rhinos.

Although relegation is undoubtedly a setback for Free State cricket, it also presents an opportunity to rebuild the proud union. In the 2023/24 season, the Knights competed in Division 2 and managed to gain promotion back to the top tier in under a year.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg