The Hollywoodbets Dolphins confirmed their spot in the One Day Cup final after they beat the Momentum Multiply Titans by 65 runs on Wednesday night’s qualifier at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
The win was a fifth in a row in the competition and meant that the Dolphins will now travel to Paarl to take on Goldrush Boland in the competition final on Sunday.
After losing the toss and batting first the Dolphins applied themselves throughout their innings and then followed that up with a disciplined display with the ball. Batting first, the Dolphins lost their first wicket when Tshepang Dithole chipped a Roelof van der Merwe delivery to Keegan Petersen at mid-wicket for eight off ten balls in the fourth over with the Dolphins 18 for one.
Jon-Jon Smuts and Bryce Parsons then put together a patient partnership of 29 before the Dolphins lost their second wicket. Parsons nicked an Andile Phehlukwayo delivery behind for 15. The Dolphins then lost their third wicket in the next over when Smuts was bowled by Schalk Engelbrecht for 22 and the home side were 47 for three.
Khaya Zondo and Jason Smith made a good effort in recovering after the loss of the two quick wickets. They put together 32 for the fourth wicket before Zondo was caught in the deep for 20. The Dolphins were 79 for four in the 24th over when they lost the wicket of Zondo.
At the halfway stage of the Dolphins innings they had moved to 82 for the loss of four wickets. Smith and Hanu Viljoen then began to build some momentum for the Dolphins as they picked off the singles on offer before the Dolphins lost their fifth wicket. Smith misjudged a drive and was caught in the covers for 14 off 28 balls with the score on 91.
Viljoen and Eathan Bosch then got the Dolphins innings back on track with a brilliant sixth wicket partnership. The pair put together 86 for the sixth wicket in a stand that took the Dolphins from 91 for five to 177 for six.
Bosch was the sixth wicket to fall for a well-played 40 off 51 balls. Viljoen went to a third consecutive half century in the One Day Cup before he fell chasing quick runs at the end of the innings. He was caught in the deep for 57 off 65 balls.
The Dolphins lost Andile Simelane for three in the 46th over before the experience of Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayen got the Dolphins past the 200 run mark. The ninth wicket partnership was worth 43 as Maharaj made 25 not out off 16 balls and Subrayen made 17 off 14 balls.
The Dolphins finished their innings on 228 for eight from their 50 overs. Some sublime fielding off his own bowling from Eathan Bosch saw the end of Rivaldo Moonsamy when he ran him out for nine and the Titans were 15 for one in the fourth over.
The Dolphins then had their second as Tristan Luus entered the attack. The seamer had his fellow SA Under 19 counterpart Luhan-dre Pretorius caught off a leading edge for 12.
With the score on 40 and in the eleventh over the Dolphins had their third when Neil Brand hit a Subrayen delivery to Keshav Maharaj at mid-on for seven. On the stroke of the drinks break the Dolphins had their fourth. Jhedli van Briesies was bowled by Maharaj for 14. The Titans were 61 for four in the eighteenth over when the players took drinks.
In the next over the Dolphins claimed their fifth wicket. Tristan Luus returned to the attack to dismiss the dangerous Keegan Petersen for 18. Petersen cut one straight to Dithole at point to give the Dolphins some crucial ascendancy.
Dewald Brevis threatened to take the game away from the Dolphins as he hit some big blows on his way to 36 off just 25 balls. He was eventually outdone by Maharaj who had him caught at point by Jason Smith with the Titans 103 for six needing 126 runs to win off 160 balls.
A partnership was brewing between Andile Phehlukwayo and Dayaan Galiem until the former holed out to Bryce Parsons for 11 off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj. Their stand was worth 19 before the loss of the wicket. The Titans were 122 for seven needing a further 107 off 125 balls.
Galiem was looking dangerous and raced to 32 before he was the eighth wicket to fall. He was caught by the captain Subrayen off the bowling of Luus as the Titans fell to 150 for eight.
They then lost Junior Dala for four in the following over off Jon-Jon Smuts and were 155 for nine needing 74 runs off 87 balls. In the 37th over the Dolphins picked up the final wicket when Schalk Engelbrecht was caught short of his ground, run out for six meaning the Titans were bowled out for 163 to hand the Dolphins a dominant 65 run win.
The Hollywoodbets Dolphins will face Goldrush Boland in the competition final on Sunday at Boland Park in Paarl.
SUMMARY OF SCORE
Hollywoodbets Dolphins 228/8 (H Viljoen 57 E Bosch 40 A Phehlukwayo 4/28)
Momentum Multiply Titans 163 all out (D Brevis 36 D Galiem 32)
Hollywoodbets Dolphins won by 65 runs
