The Warriors cricket team, based in Gqeberha, has been stripped of five points after a match last month where the team failed to field the minimum requirement of three “black African players”. The Warriors only fielded two black Africans in the fifty-over One Day Cup match.
The requirements of Cricket South Africa (CSA) are that each team should field at least six “players of colour” of whom three must be black Africans. Teams can deviate from these requirements if they have injuries to players. Deviations are not allowed for tactical or strategic reasons.
The Warriors failed to give a reason why they failed to meet the transformation targets in the match, which was played last month against the Dolphins in Durban. It saw the Warriors win by 126 runs.
However, following the breach of the playing conditions, the Warriors were stripped of all five points (receiving four points for a win and one bonus point), with the Dolphins receiving four points. This saw the table standings change. The Pretoria-based Titans dropped from second to third, the Warriors from third to fourth, and the Dolphins leapfrogged both sides to be second.
CSA said a monetary fine had also been levied.
Boland are top of the log in the tournament and are already in the final. The Dolphins will now play the Titans in the playoff today in Durban to see who will play Boland over the weekend.