After six wickets in the first innings, Hollywoodbets Dolphins spinner Keshav Maharaj took 7/48 in the Imperial Lions’ second innings to finish with match figures of 13/174 which helped the Dolphins to a 86-run win in the CSA 4-Day Domestic Series at Imperial Wanderers on Wednesday.
Not only was Maharaj influential with the ball throughout the match, he added 101 runs with the bat over the two innings which included the fastest South African domestic 4-Day half-century at the Wanderers; 50 off just 30 deliveries. He went on to score 89 which helped the Dolphins set the Lions 249 to win the match.
The final day was set up to be an exciting day of cricket given that the Lions required 228 runs to win the match with nine second-innings wickets in hand.
Maharaj took control early on the final day when he dismissed the dangerous Reeza Hendricks for ten and then just eight runs later had Proteas batsman Rassie van der Dussen back in the change room for a duck.
The Lions lost their fourth wicket with just 43 on the board when first-innings hero Ryan Rickelton departed for 27, caught by Khaya Zondo off the bowling of Maharaj.
Kagiso Rapulana was stumped by Grant Roelofsen off a Maharaj delivery and sixteen runs later Wiaan Mulder also fell victim to the left-arm spin of Maharaj for eight.
When Mulder fell the Lions were 106 for six and Maharaj had taken five of those six wickets to fall.
Daryn Dupavillon then returned to pick up his second wicket of the innings when he bowled Sisanda Magala for thirteen before Maharaj stepped in again to dismiss Beuran Hendricks for a duck.
Lutho Sipamla became Maharaj’s seventh victim when he was caught for five before Lions captain Nicky van den Bergh and number eleven Eldred Hawken provided some resistance.
Their tenth wicket stand was worth thirty runs before Senuran Muthusamy picked up his first wicket of the innings, dismissing Van den Bergh for 45.
This saw the hosts bowled out for 162 and handing the Dolphins the double over the defending champions following their nine wicket victory earlier in the season at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
The result has given the Dolphins a good chance of qualifying for the 4-Day Domestic Series final. They have one match left against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth starting on 16 March.
