Exciting opening weekend of DPL action

The first weekend of action in the inaugural Dolphins Premier League, presented by Aucor, saw some exciting action as the eight teams fought it out in 10 matches at the Kingsmead Oval and the Chatsworth Oval on Saturday and Sunday.

With a mixture of players from the Hollywoodbets Dolphins down to the best schoolboy cricketers, the competition, a first of its kind in KwaZulu-Natal, saw some quality performances from young and old with both bat and ball highlighting the talent in the province.

With a tight schedule of games to be played organisers decided that all the games would be played over 18 overs per side. Despite the reduction in deliveries the matches still produced plenty of runs and a lot of wickets with sides adopting an even more aggressive approach than that of a traditional 20 over match.

Saturday’s action saw four games take place with the Aucor Durban Chiefs, AFFA Holdings Tugela Sharks, Toddler Park Drakensberg Thunder and Solid Pak Pietermaritzburg Spurs all registering wins.

Hollywoodbets Dolphins speedster Daryn Dupavillon starred with the ball taking 2/22 for the Durban Chiefs in their win over the Elite Academy Umgeni Rhinos where Bruce Kerr’s 64 off 38 balls was not enough to see his side over the line.

The Tugela Sharks then opened their account with an eight wicket, bonus point, win over the Ethekwini Hurricanes. Sohail Mahmoud’s 49 not out off 22 balls seeing his side home in the 13th over.

A Kerwin Mungroo inspired Drakensberg Thunder beat the Smartrac East Coast Wizards by nine wickets. Dolphins seamer Mungroo bagged 4/12 as his side chased down 113 with Jason Kraft (44 not out) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (41 not out) seeing them home.

In Saturday’s final game the Pietermaritzburg Spurs beat the Jooma Properties Zulu Kings by 12 runs. Dolphins all-rounder Calvin Savage took 4/27 as his side defended 133 to win their first game of the competition.

In Sunday’s action the Smartrac East Coast Wizards, led by captain Luke Schlemmer’s 91 from 52 balls, beat the Hollywoodbets eThekwini Hurricanes off the final ball of the match to win by three wickets.

An inspired 60 not out from Marques Ackerman helped the Umgeni Rhinos claim their first win – a seven wicket triumph over the Pietermaritzburg Spurs.

Hilton College’s Gareth Schreuder’s 55 not out was not enough for the Zulu Kings as they suffered their second defeat of the tournament at the hands of the Tugela Sharks. Cody Chetty’s 78 not out helped his side chase down 168 with three balls to spare to win by three wickets.

The Durban Chiefs registered their second win of the tournament when former Dolphin Kyle Nipper starred with bat and ball to help his side to a seven wicket win over the Drakensberg Thunder. Nipper’s 3/25 and 83 were the highlights of that fixture.

The eThekwini Hurricanes played out another humdinger when they got themselves on the right side of a last ball thriller when they beat the Elite Umgeni Rhinos by one run.

Mike Alexander top scored for the Hurricanes with 43 as they set the Rhinos 149 to win, however Khalipa Cele’s 65 not out was not enough as they fell one run shy of the mark.

In the final game on Sunday Glenwood’s Thamsanqa Khumalo showed his prowess with a match-winning 53 as the Pietermaritzburg Spurs chased down 121 against the Wizards to win by four wickets.

Player of the first weekend’s action went to Sohail Mahmoud, who scored 120 runs in two innings with a top score of 71. Young Thamsanqa Khulamo was awarded the rookie of the weekend following his match-winning 53 for the Pietermaritzburg Spurs on Sunday.

President of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union Ben Dladla, who attended, was impressed by the quality of cricket on display.

“It was great to see the high level of cricket and especially the healthy competition between the players who normally play together, now playing for different teams. One such match-up was Prenelan Subrayen bowling to his Hollywoodbets Dolphins teammate, Cody Chetty. It was quite intriguing.”

CEO of KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Heinrich Strydom is encouraged by how he cricketing community has rallied around the tournament so far.

“Aucor has been incredible as tournament sponsor, and the manner in which the various team owners have embraced the DPL has been mind-blowing.

“Most of the team owners launched their campaigns with fancy capping ceremonies which were well attended and enjoyed by all. Special mention needs to made of the Zulu dancers from the Jooma Properties Zulu Kings who have been very lively.”

2018 Dolphins Premier League presented by Aucor 
Round One results

Saturday 25 August


Elite Academy Umgeni Rhinos v Aucor Durban Chiefs, Chatsworth Oval
Chiefs 137/6 (Morne van Wyk 57, Adams 2/23)
Rhinos 127/7 (Bruce Kerr 64, Khalipa Cele 30, Daryn Dupavillon 2/22)

Hollywoodbets eThekwini Hurricanes v AFFA Holdings Tugela Sharks, Kingsmead Oval
Hurricanes 122/7 (Robbie Koenig 28, Abdul Razak 3/10 George Bronkhorst 3/25)
Sharks 124/2 (Sohail Mahmoud 49*)
Sharks won by 8 wickets with a bonus point

Toddler Park Drakensberg Thunder v Smartrac East Coast Wizards, Kingsmead Oval
Wizards 113/9 (Luke Schlemmer 33, Kerwin Mungroo 4/12)
Thunder 114/1 (Jason Kraft 44* Vaughn Van Jaarsveld 41*)
Thunder won by 9 wickets and a bonus point

Jooma Properties Zulu Kings v Solid Pak Pietermaritzburg Spurs, Chatsworth Oval
Spurs 133/8 (Lyndon Brown 26, Sthabiso Zungu 24, Thamsanqa Khumalo 21)
Kings 121/10 (Prenelan Subrayen 37(31), Calvin Savage 4/27)
Spurs win by 12 runs

Sunday 26 August


Smartrac East Coast Wizards vs Hollywoodbets eThekwini Hurricanes, Chasworth Oval
Hurricanes 157/2 (Blyde Capel 57* Nick Pentz 50*)
Wizards 161/7 (Luke Schlemmer 91, Neill Jordaan 2/21)
Wizards won by three wickets

Elite Academy Umgeni Rhinos v Solid Pak Pietermaritzburg Spurs, Kingsmead Oval
PMB Spurs 125/6 (Sthabiso Zungu 27 Thamsanqa Khumalo 26 Tyron Koen 26, Khalipa Cele 3/20, D Adams 2/14)
Umgeni Rhinos  128/3 (Marques Ackerman 60* Bruce Kerr 31)
Umgeni Rhinos won by 7 wickets

Jooma Properties Zulu Kings v AFFA Holdings Tugela Sharks, Chatsworth Oval
Kings 168/5 (Gareth Schreuder 55*)
Sharks 171/3 (Cody Chetty 78* Sohail Mahmoud 71)
Sharks won by 7 wickets

Toddler Park Drakensberg Thunder v Aucor Durban Chiefs, Kingsmead Oval
Drakensburg Thunder 157/8 (Matthew Jeary 40 Jason Kraft 39, Kyle Nipper 3/25)
Durban Chiefs 157/3 (Kyle Nipper 83 Kishen Kushen 38)
Durban Chiefs won by 7 wickets

Hollywoodbets eThekwini Hurricanes vs Elite Academy Umgeni Rhinos, Chatsworth Oval
Hurricanes 148/8 (Mike Alexander 43 Blyde Capell 32, Nduduzo Mfoza 2/20)
Rhinos 147/3 (Khalipa Cele 65* Marques Ackerman 36)
Hurricanes won by 1 run

Smartrac East Coast Wizards v Solid Pak Pietermaritzburg Spurs, Kingsmead Oval
East Coast Wizards 121/5 (Mishkail Ramsaroop 38* Ryan Reeves 21 Jeyato Bezuidenhout 21, Y. Kamanzi 3/16)
Pietermaritzburg Spurs 122/6 (Thamsanqa Khumalo 53 Zak Paruk 40, Okuhle Cele 2/5)
PMB Spurs won by 4 wickets

2018 Dolphins Premier League presented by Aucor Log after Round One

2018 Dolphins Premier League presented by Aucor 
Round Two Fixtures

Saturday
08h30 eThekwini Hurricanes vs Zulu Kings, PMB Oval
08h30 Drakensburg Thunder vs Umgeni Rhinos, Varsity Oval
11h30 Durban Chiefs vs Eastcoast Wizards, PMB Oval
11h30 Pietermaritzburg Spurs vs Tugela Sharks, Varsity Oval
14h30 Drakensburg Thunder vs eThekwini Hurricanes, PMB Oval
14h30 Umgeni Rhinos vs Zulu Kings, Varsity Oval

Sunday
08h30 Pietermaritzburg Spurs vs Durban Chiefs, PMB Oval
08h30 Eastcoast Wizards vs Tugela Sharks, Varsity Oval
11h30 Drakensburg Thunder vs Pietermaritzburg Spurs, PMB Oval
11h30 Umgeni Rhinos vs Tugela Sharks, Varsity Oval
14h30 Zulu Kings vs Eastcoast Wizards, PMB Oval
14h30 eTthekwini Hurricanes vs Durban Chiefs, Varsity Oval

For more information visit www.dolphinscricket.co.za.