A historic battle for first place

KNYSNA | PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Come next week Monday, Knysna Cavaliers and Plettenberg Bay Pioneers will each have their own chance at history when they battle it out in the final of the SWD Premier League for the first time ever.

The two clubs have been rivals for as long as club cricket has been played in SWD, their rivalry closely resembling many professional English football rivalries.

Matches are always played hard, but fair, with players respecting one another enough to share a chat off the field and perhaps a beer or two.

The clubs' first teams have enjoyed somewhat contrasting seasons in 2021/22. From start to finish Cavaliers have dominated the SWD Premier League, winning seven of their eight matches, not once relinquishing top spot.

Pioneers' season was more of a mixed bag, with a slow start before gaining significant momentum in the second half of the season.

This saw them climb from fifth at the halfway point in the season to third at the end of the round-robin that saw them qualify for the play-off match. There, they beat defending Premier League champions George to earn a spot in the final against Cavaliers, who had earned automatic progression to the final by finishing top of the Premier League log.

Cavaliers' only loss in the Premier League season ironically came against Pioneers at the Ashford Cricket Oval.

They did however beat Pioneers in the group stages of the SWD T20 Knockout Competition, meaning the teams go into the final with a win apiece.

The final will be played at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn, the home of SWD Cricket, on Monday 21 March (Human Rights Day).

The stage will be perfectly set for making history. Pioneers will play in their first-ever SWD Premier League final, but have previously finished as runners-up in the 2018/19 SWD T20 Knockout Competition.

Cavaliers, on the other hand, will play in their first Premier League final since 2005/06.

Cavaliers have previously won two Premier League titles, in the 1997/98 and 1998/99 seasons, while still playing under the banner of Knysna Cricket Club.

Thus, next week's final will present them with the chance to win their first trophy since their rebranding in the early 2000s, while Pioneers will have their first chance ever.

Regardless of who rewrites the history books on Monday, the final is without a doubt a win for cricket within Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, showcasing the growth and development that cricket has undergone in the two towns in recent years.

Pioneers and Cavaliers players shake hands after their clash earlier this season. Photos: Blake Linder