The Hollywoodbets Dolphins claimed a crucial and dominant bonus point 123 run win over the Dafabet Warriors in the CSA T20 Challenge thanks to stand-out performances from Ottniel Baartman and Grant Roelofsen in Potchefstroom on Tuesday.
Baartman took career-best figures of 5-14 in 2.2 overs while Grant Roelofsen made a career-best 91 off 49 balls to help the Dolphins complete a convincing win and to move to second on the table.
Batting first, Keegan Pietersen began positively however in the second over he chopped on a Glenton Stuurman delivery for eight while Jon-Jon Smuts also hit a boundary before he was given out LBW for nine.
The Dolphins finished their powerplay on 58 for two with Roelofsen and Tshepang Dithole continuing on from the solid start.
Dithole got himself to ten off 11 balls before a missed sweep saw him trapped in front off Wian Lubbe’s bowling. The Dolphins were 64 for three in the eighth over.
Roelofsen went to his third half-century of the competition off just 32 balls in the fourteenth over of the innings.
Khaya Zondo and Roelofsen put together a crucial partnership of 87 for the fourth wicket with Roelofsen taking charge and going past his previous career best in T20 cricket.
Roelofsen was eventually dismissed for 91 off just 49 balls with six fours and five sixes. The opener also continued to dominate the competition run-scorers chart, solidifying his spot on the top of the list.
Zondo and Jason Smith then concluded the Dolphins innings with some good momentum.
Zondo ended on 36 not out off 34 balls while Smith blasted 25 off just twelve balls with three sixes.
The pair added 40 runs in the final three overs of the innings to catapult them to the top score in the competition, 191 for four.
It was the perfect start for the Dolphins with the ball as Eathan Bosch bagged two wickets in consecutive balls in the opening over of the chase.
He had Lesiba Ngoepe caught for a duck, and then Diego Rosier fell the very next ball leaving the Warriors one for two after the first over.
Dolphins captain Prenelan Subrayen picked up his first wicket when he dismissed Warriors captain Wihan Lubbe for two off eleven balls which left the Warriors five for three in the fourth over.
Jordan Hermann and Matthew Breetzke put together a partnership of 53 for the fourth wicket before Subrayen picked up his second wicket as Hermann was stumped by Roelofsen for 24.
It was Ottniel Baartman who then got in on the act when he had Sinethemba Qeshile caught behind for five.
Beyers Swanepoel took a blow to the visor off his first ball off Baartman which meant he had to leave the field after one delivery.
Baartman then picked up two more wickets in the over with Tiaan van Vuuren bowled first ball before Glenton Stuurman was trapped in front a ball later leaving the Warriors 64 for seven after 12 overs.
Jon-Jon Smuts got the wicket of Ziyaad Abrahams before Baartman picked up his fourth when Swanepoel’s concussion replacement Rudi Second was out LBW and then Baartman took his fifth wicket when he bowled Kgaudisa Molefe for a duck.
The Warriors lost six wickets for ten runs to be bowled out for 68 handing the Dolphins a crucial bonus point 123-run win.
The Hollywoodbets Dolphins will play again on Wednesday when they face the DP World Lions.
SUMMARY OF SCORE
- Hollywoodbets Dolphins 191/4 (G Roelofsen 91 K Zondo 36*)
- Dafabet Warriors 68 all out (O Baartman 5/14 E Bosch 2/3 P Subrayen 2/14)
- Dolphins win by 123 runs
