Durban – The Hollywoodbets Dolphins would have been disappointed with their first innings but managed to pick up two WSB Cape Cobras wickets before the close of play on day one of their 4-Day Domestic Series match in Oudtshoorn on Monday.
The Dolphins won the toss and elected to bat first with the opening pair of Sarel Erwee and Grant Roelofsen making a cautious start to the innings before Erwee became George Linde’s first victim in the tenth over for nine.
The top order of the visitors never got going with Marques Ackerman falling for a single, Vaughn van Jaarsveld for thirteen and Roelofsen for sixteen. At that stage the Dolphins were 45 for four in the 26th over of the innings.
With the score on 61 Cody Chetty was bowled by Dane Paterson which brought Andile Phehlukwayo to the crease to join a stubborn Senuran Muthusamy and the pair began an important rebuilding phase to the innings.
The duo put on 97 for the sixth wicket with Phehlukwayo scoring 63 vital runs off 83 balls to take the Dolphins past the 150 run mark. He was the sixth wicket to fall when Mthiwekhaya Nabe had him caught by Jason Smith.
Linde continued to pick up wickets regularly and then bagged the patient Muthusamy for 37.
Mangaliso Mosehle and Daryn Dupavillon fell in consecutive deliveries to Linde handing him another first-class five-for. The left-arm spinner ended with six for 51 in 22 overs.
Kerwin Mungroo was the last batsman out for a duck when he was LBW to Dane Piedt and the Dolphins were bowled out for 174.
The Cobras started like a house on fire with the bat and had notched up thirty without loss after just five overs, however some disciplined bowling from the Dolphins spinners pegged the hosts’ batsmen back.
It was Senuran Muthusamy who picked up the crucial wicket of Janneman Malan for twenty when he threatened to get away from the Dolphins.
It was off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen who bagged the second wicket when he dismissed Matthew Kleinveldt for twelve with the score on 33.
The hosts went into the close on 55 for two trailing the Dolphins by 119 runs.
SUMMARY OF SCORE – Hollywoodbets Dolphins v WSB Cape Cobras Day One
Dolphins 174 all out (A Phehlukwayo 61 G Linde 6/51)
Cobras 55 for two
Cobras trail by 119 runs
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