The Hollywoodbets Dolphins powered their way into contention for the tournament final with a nine wicket demolition of the DP World Lions in the CSA T20 Challenge in Potchefstroom on Wednesday.
Set a target of 164 to win the key encounter at the JB Marks Oval, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins charged home with ten balls to spare, thanks to a whirlwind 73 from Keegan Petersen, backed by equally aggressive knocks from Grant Roelofsen and Jon-Jon Smuts.
Petersen’s unbeaten 73 came off just 51 deliveries and proved to be the backbone for the impressive run chase, with Roelofsen continuing his rich vein of form with a run-a-ball 44 before Smuts added a typical quick-fire 37 off 19 balls to help finish off the match.
The four that sealed the match in the eighteenth over was Petersen’s tenth boundary of his innings, one of them a maximum, at a strike rate of 143 as his measured aggression made sure the Durbanites were always in control of the match.
Earlier in the day the DP World Lions won the toss and opted to bat first, and reached fifty before Daryn Dupavillon made the breakthrough dismissing Cameron Delport in the seventh over.
Dupavillon starred with the ball, claiming 3/30, with Ottniel Baartman following on from his stellar five-for performance on Tuesday by taking 2/30 as the Gauteng outfit closed on 163/6 off their twenty overs.
The win cements the Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ second place on the log after their back-to-back victories, and they can now look forward to their showdown with the ITEC Knights on Friday evening.
SUMMARY OF SCORE
- DP World Lions 163/6 (D Dupavillon 3/30, O Baartman 2/30).
- Hollywoodbets Dolphins 167/1 (K Petersen 73*, G Roelofsen 44, JJ Smuts 37*)
- Dolphins win by nine wickets
