Cricket South Africa have confirmed the Knights have been relegated to division two of South African domestic cricket.
Whether the Knights remain relegated, though, will be decided later this year. They ended the cumulative points table for the 2024-25 domestic season in last position, but are disputing this with CSA.
The Warriors were penalised for not fielding enough black African players in a win over the Dolphins in the One-Day Cup earlier this season. They lost points, but not the victory. The Knights want the Warriors’ win removed.
If the win is removed, the Knights will effectively move above the Warriors on the cumulative points table.
Division one – all competitions – cumulative points table
| Position | Team | Points allocation – 4-Day | 1-Day | T20 | Total points as of 9 April 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lions | 15 | 2 | 15 | 32 |
| 2. Titans | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| 3. Boland | 5 | 15 | 3 | 23 |
| 4. Dolphins | 7 | 10 | 1 | 18 |
| 5. North West | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| 6. Western Province | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| 7. Warriors | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 8. Knights | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
“Up until there are any changes, the Knights remain relegated as per the status quo of the log,” CSA chief executive officer Pholetsi Moseki told News24.
“The Knights have requested mediation, so we’re busy finalising the dates and appointments. The Warriors’ one is set for next week and from there, we will hear what will come out of those processes.
“If something comes out of those processes, there will be an update on the matter and there will be the necessary changes made. Nothing is suspended until there are different outcomes from the mediations that require us to go back to the drawing board.
“If mediation doesn’t work, the teams can go to arbitration. That would be the next step, and in terms of our memorandum of incorporation, all internal processes have to be exhausted before external ones can be pursued.
“You can’t go to court until the internal dispute resolution blocks are ticked.”
The Knights have been relegated previously and lost several players at the time. This included Proteas trio Patrick Kruger, Raynard van Tonder and Gerald Coetzee.
“Why are the Warriors getting recognition for a win for that match against the Dolphins? It should be a draw, not a win,” Knights chief executive officer Johan van Heerden told Rapport.
“It’s about relegation and promotion. When we were relegated before, we lost our main sponsor and we lost R5 million. If you move down, there is a big exodus of all your players and you have to maintain your field with about 40 percent of the budget that is reserved for teams in division one.”