The Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ Annual Awards brought the curtain down on yet another successful season for the franchise at a glitzy event hosted by Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
The Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ Annual Awards brought the curtain down on yet another successful season for the franchise at a glitzy event hosted by Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
The 2022/23 season saw the Dolphins claim the CSA 4-Day Series title and reach the final of the CSA T20 Challenge. These excellent runs offset a disappointing run in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge.
CSA 4-Day Series PotY – Prenelan Subrayen
Subrayen – a stalwart of the Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ setup – scooped the CSA 4-Day Series Player of the Year following the Durban franchise’s stunning success in the competition. The 29-year-old all-rounder produced a series of match-defining performances with the ball as the Dolphins surged up the table, winning four of their last five games.
He took the second-most wickets in the competition (29), finishing just behind the Warriors’ Beyers Swanepoel (34) despite playing two fewer matches. He also bagged the best figures in an innings over the course of the competition with his 7-52 against the Titans, helping the Durban side to a seven-wicket victory. He would finish the match with figures of 11-97.
He also boasted the best economy of any bowler who bowled more than five overs during the competition. His miserly economy rate of 2.21 is made more impressive by the fact he bowled 210 overs – significantly more than anyone else in the top 50.
CSA T20 Challenge PotY – Grant Roelofsen
Roelofsen continues to be a vital cog in the Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ batting line-up across all formats, however, his performances in the 2022/23 CSA T20 Challenge really set him apart. The Dolphins’ tilt at the title was built largely on the foundation laid by the 26-year-old at the top of the order.
He would go on to top the run-scoring charts in the competition with an impressive 333 runs in just nine innings. He averaged 47.57 and scored at a rate of 132.66 across these nine innings, hitting 30 fours and 10 sixes. He carried his fine T20 form into the SA20, where he finished as the 18th-highest run-getter, scoring 198 runs in 10 innings for MI Cape Town.
In addition to his fine work with the bat, Roelofsen was also an absolute giant behind the stumps for the Dolphins, topping the dismissal charts for wicketkeepers with 10 catches and four stumpings.
CSA One-Day Challenge PotY – Brad Porteous
A disappointing CSA One-Day Challenge saw the Hollywoodbets Dolphins finish at the foot of the table, however, the performance of Porteous really caught the eye. The 24-year-old finished 14th in the run-scoring charts with 248 in his seven innings.
He would finish the competition with an excellent average of 41.33 striking at 86.71 on surfaces that were often difficult to bat on. He would go on to score on century and half-century. That 100 came against Western Province, with Porteous walking into the middle with the Dolphins reeling at 66-6. A 113-run partnership with Eathan Bosch would see the Durbanites post a competitive 226-9, a score that the Western Cape side would chase down with just five balls to spare.
Player of the Year and Players Player of the Year – Jason Smith
Smith scooped both the Player of the Year and the coveted Players Player of the Year after a spectacular season across all three formats with the willow.
In the shortest format, Smith bagged 132 runs across six innings at an average of 44.00. While he didn’t score any half-centuries or centuries, his consistent performances in the Dolphins’ middle order helped them to the final of the CSA T20 Challenge. He would go on to score an incredible unbeaten 21 in the final off just seven balls.
In the CSA One-Day Cup, Smith was one of the Dolphins’ most consistent batters. In seven innings, the 28-year-old amassed 217 runs with a top score of 89. He would go on to average 31.00 in the format, scoring two half-centuries.
It was, however, in the longest format where Smith shone the brightest. He would top score for the Dolphins in the competition with 391 runs in just nine innings. His ability to occupy the crease for extended periods of time was key in the Dolphins’ push for the title. He would end the season having faced 854 balls for his 391 runs at an average of 55.85. He’d help himself to a century and two half-centuries along the way.
