Sunday proved to be another frustrating day for the hosts’ chase, with a delayed start at the Mangaung Oval followed by an early close as rain and poor light once again had the final say. In the end, only 19.5 overs were possible on the day.

The entire first session was lost on Sunday due to a few wet patches, and after an early lunch and pitch inspection at 12:10, play eventually resumed just after 13:00, but the joy was short-lived.

Gihahn Cloete reaching his 14th first-class ton - Charlé Lombard

Replying to the Eastern Storm’s first-innings total of 277, the Knights reached 228/1 when play was eventually called. They added 69 runs to their overnight score of 159/1 and, crucially, managed to come through the limited action without losing a wicket - a small but important win in difficult conditions.

The undoubted highlight of the day was a superb century from wicketkeeper-batter Gihahn Cloete, who brought up his 14th first-class hundred in gritty fashion. Cloete resumed on 78* and showed patience and composure to add a further 32 runs, finishing the day unbeaten on 110.

At the other end of the crease, the Knights veteran Patrick Botha provided solid support, contributing 31 runs to his overnight score of 8* to close day three on 39 not out. Together, the pair ensured the Knights remain firmly in the contest, with nine wickets still in hand.

While the Knights now trail by just 49 runs, the weather continues to loom large over the final. There are still two full days scheduled, but with persistent rain forecast for Bloemfontein for the remainder of the week, it appears unlikely that the full quota of play will be possible.

Play is scheduled to resume at 09:30 on Monday morning, but substantial rain overnight and into the early hours may well result in yet another delayed start, should conditions not improve.

Should the match end in a draw, it is understood that the Knights would be crowned champions, having finished top of the log during the round-robin phase and after beating the Eastern Storm by eight wickets in their head-to-head encounter earlier in the competition.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport