The Hollywoodbets Dolphins need to put their best foot forward on the final day of their CSA 4-Day Franchise Series clash at the Pietermaritzburg Oval if they are to finish the campaign positively.
Pietermaritzburg – Following a double century from WSB Cape Cobras star Zubayr Hamza, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins will need to put their best foot forward on the final day of their CSA 4-Day Franchise Series clash at the Pietermaritzburg Oval if they are to finish the campaign positively.
The Cobras continued where they finished at the end of the second day with Hamza and Kyle Vereynne batting well. The pair grew their partnership consistently through the morning session as the latter went to 50 and Hamza went past 150.
It was Vereynne who was the first wicket to fall with the total on 337 and the partnership at 176 when he was run-out for 88. Following the loss of his wicket the Dolphins might have thought that they had a chance to make inroads into the Cobras batting line-up.
Aviwe Mgijima joined Hamza and they put on a partnership of 95 runs which saw Hamza reach the magic 200 mark. He was the next to fall for 201 from 342 deliveries – caught by Michael Erlank off the bowling of captain Khaya Zondo.
Mgijima went to a half century and there were chip-ins from George Linde, Vernon Philander and Dane Paterson as the Cobras pushed through to 523 for seven when they declared.
Spinner Keshav Maharaj got through a mountain of work, bowling 56 overs taking two wickets for 217 runs.
There were also wickets for Keith Dudgeon, Okuhle Cele, Senuran Muthusamy and Zondo.
The Dolphins had a deficit of 213 to overcome before the Cobras would bat again and the home side started positively with openers Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Michael Erlank putting on their second successive fifty run partnership.
With the score on 66 without loss the players were called from the field for bad light again with Erlank 46 not out while Van Jaarsveld has 19.
