Durban – A sixth win from seven matches in the Momentum One Day Cup for the Hollywoodbets Dolphins sees the Durban side extend their lead at the top of the table after they beat the Momentum Multiply Titans by 35 runs at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium on Thursday.
For consecutive fixtures, the Dolphins got off to a strong start with the openers Grant Roelofsen and Sarel Erwee putting on 67 for the first wicket in just over fourteen overs at the start of the innings.
The wicket did seem to be on the slower side and Roelofsen paid the price when he seemed to hit one right off the toe of the bat to the fielder at midwicket for what was a fluent 41 from 42 deliveries.
Erwee was far more conservative in his approach and played a measured innings as he went past fifty for the second time in the consecutive innings following a well-played hundred over the weekend.
He and Marques Ackerman put together a partnership of 72 before he was caught by Alfred Mathoa off the bowling of spinner Aiden Markram for 68 from 85 balls. The Dolphins had moved to 139 for two in the 28th over of the innings.
Just nine runs later and the Titans had their third when Ackerman was bowled by Markram for 31.
The home side then looked threatening as Senuran Muthusamy and Khaya Zondo put together 27 together before the former became Markram’s third victim, caught by the captain Grant Thomson for twenty.
At 175 for four in the 38th over the Dolphins might have been worried that they weren’t going to post anything competitive, however, Zondo and Sibz Makhanya combined to produce a destructive partnership.
Their stand was worth 112 from eleven overs and one ball with Zondo scoring 60 off just 52 deliveries. His knock consisted of six boundaries as the Dolphins pushed towards 300.
Makhanya was at his destructive best as he notched up sixty off just forty balls with three fours and four sixes.
Makhanya fell in the 49th over of the innings which left Rob Frylinck three balls from which he hit two sixes as the Dolphins posted 308 for six in their fifty overs.
It was another admiral display with the ball from the Dolphins as they squeezed the Titans potent batting line-up with only Tony de Zorzi and Rivaldo Moonsamy managing to get past the fifty run mark.
Aiden Markram showed a positive return to cricket as he made 36 before he was stumped off the bowling of Kesha Maharaj.
Rob Frylinck, Okuhle Cele and Daryn Dupavillon led the attack with their seam bowling and all three were amongst the wickets.
Frylinck picked up the wicket of Diego Rossier early for ten while Cele outfoxed Grant Thomson with a slower ball when he was looking dangerous on 27.
Dupavillon’s wicket was the vital scalp of Dean Elgar for twenty off 31 balls when he was preparing to shift into the next gear.
Prenelan Subrayen accounted for the dangerous Ferhaan Behardien for nine and the Dolphins had their foot on the throat of the visitors.
De Zorzi and Moonsamy put on 77 from 73 balls to give the Titans a glimmer of hope towards the back end of the innings, however, when De Zorzi fell to a good catch by Erwee off the bowling of Frylinck for 54 their hopes were all but dashed.
Moonsamy then showed some fight at the death however he lost partners at the other end as the Dolphins hunted down a sixth win of the competition.
Moonsamy went to fifty in the penultimate over of the chase but Mothoa was the final wicket to fall with the score on 259.
Man of the Match Khaya Zondo was pleased with his personal performance as well as that of the team as they are all but guaranteed a play-off spot.
“The team has been good on the whole for most of the tournament,” Zondo said. “There are a few guys that we need to get into a confident mindset so that if we are in a tough position in one of the upcoming games they can come to the party and play a match-winning role.
“From a performance perspective we have put together two clinical performances in a row now, one against the Warriors and now doing the double against the Titans.”
The Dolphins have a week break until they take on the Imperial Lions at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium on Thursday, 5 March.
