The progress made by the Hollywoodbets Dolphins under head coach Imraan Khan has been commendable.
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
Khan inherited a side that was performing well in the white-ball formats but needed attention at first-class level, and in 2021 they look like serious contenders for the 4-Day Series crown.
The Dolphins have had to pull together with the bat and have accumulated their runs from up and down the order. Recent performances from Eathan Bosch and Keshav Maharaj suggesting the pair could soon be considered allrounders.
Khan has allowed fresh blood to be infused into the franchise and Ruan de Swardt is a great example of a young player grabbing a chance given to him by the coach.
A handful of Dolphins players have also been called up to the Proteas for the first time during Khan’s tenure including Sarel Erwee, Daryn Dupavillon and Ottniel Baartman, although Baartman sadly missed out on the tour to Pakistan through illness.
The Dolphins are one of the more resilient sides in the first-class scene and time and have fought back from some tough situations, however if there is one area the team can develop it is in making their top-order starts really count. Erwee and Keegan Pietersen have been the most consistent, but both will know to make the step up to Test level they will need to show much more.
The Dolphins look to be well placed for the late season when their impressive spin-bowling arsenal can really come to the fore as if the hauls of Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy wasn’t already keeping the men from Durban in the hunt.
In Grant Roelofson and Marques Ackerman, the Dolphins have talents that should one day make an impact on the international stage.
The Dolphins have done some smart recruiting as they seek to keep pace with the Titans and Lions on the highveld and coastal rivals the Cobras who have traditionally drawn the best players.
Under Khan, the Dolphins have been competitive in all three formats, and look to be building a team for the future that can also win matches right now.
Fans of cricket in KwaZulu-Natal have every reason to be optimistic about the future if current trends at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead continue.
Written by James Richardson.
