KwaZulu-Natal Inland vs Western Province: Last-Ball DLS Win in Pietermaritzburg

Updated: 31 October 2026 · Author: Cricket Match Scorecard Editorial

Rain changed this CSA T20 Challenge match in Pietermaritzburg on 25 October 2026, but it did not spoil it. KwaZulu-Natal Inland made 164/3 in a shortened innings, and Western Province then reached their revised target with the very last ball of a 12-over chase, winning by five wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

A big opening stand

Western Province put KwaZulu-Natal Inland in, and the opening pair made them pay. Jack Lees hit 73 from 39 balls, with six sixes, and Ntando Zuma carried his bat for 69 not out from 51. The stand was worth 122 before Lees fell to Josh Breed in the 13th over.

The total reached 164 in 17 overs. Breed picked up three wickets, including two in the closing moments of the innings, although they cost him 44 runs. Oliver Whitehead was the most economical bowler in the innings, giving up only 12 from three overs.

A shorter, faster chase

Western Province had only 12 overs for their reply, so the run chase had a very different shape from the first innings. Kashief Joseph made 32 from 18 balls and Jiveshan Pillay hit seven fours in his 43 from 27, with the pair giving the chase a quick start.

The middle of the chase got complicated. Two run outs cost Western Province Edward Moore and Mihlali Mpongwana at the same score, 88, and Daniel Smith's 12 only partly settled things. When he was bowled by Chad Laycock at 105 in the 12th over, Western Province had five down and very little time.

Oliver Whitehead, who had already done his job with the ball, then finished the match, scoring 12 not out from only three balls. Western Province ended on 117/5, reaching their target from the last ball.

Reading this result properly

On the face of it, a team making 117 beat a team that made 164, which looks strange. This is where DLS comes in. The method does not compare raw totals. It compares the total scored with the resources (overs and wickets) available to each team. Having only 12 overs but all 10 wickets meant a Western Province target far smaller than 164, but still demanding a very fast scoring rate. Their final score of 117 from 12 overs came at 9.75 an over, slightly higher than the 9.65 KwaZulu-Natal Inland had scored at. Our DLS guide explains how this works.

The match data available to us does not state the exact revised target, so we are not quoting one here.

What it means

The win helped Western Province finish the pool stage strongly, in third place in Pool B, and qualify for the Super Eight. Read the Super Eight preview for what follows.