All-rounder Jason Smith has made the move from the Western Cape to join the Hollywoodbets Dolphins ahead of the start of the new season.
Durban – After ending the franchise era on a high, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins will start the new structure with a squad that boasts three new faces from outside KwaZulu-Natal and a graduate from the Dolphins Academy.
The Dolphins have managed to acquire the services of some exciting young players with former SA Under 19 captain Bryce Parsons joining the ranks along with former SA Under 19 seamer Thando Ntini, former Cobras all-rounder Jason Smith and homegrown Thamsanqa Khumalo from the KZN Coastal set-up.
While they have retained the bulk of the squad that won two trophies in the 2020/21 season and made a third final, a handful of players have moved on including Senuran Muthusamy, Mangaliso Mosehle, Keith Dudgeon, Andile Mogakane and Rob Frylinck –who has retired.
Dolphins coach Imraan Khan is enthusiastic about the talent that they are bringing into an already exciting squad of players.
“We had a look at the players that we had retained and with the players going we knew that we had to get players in to cover some skill-sets and we have managed to do that,” Khan said.
“Bryce (Parsons) has captained the national side at junior level and is a great prospect.
“Thando (Ntini) has performed well for the Titans in white ball cricket which is exciting for us and we want him to continue to grow.
“Jason (Smith) is a seasoned campaigner who can perform a role with the bat and the ball which adds to our arsenal going into the new season.
“Khumbs (Khumalo) has been exciting in white ball cricket for our KZN side and is another really exciting prospect for us,” he added.
Following on from the success of last season, Khan is glad that he has managed to maintain the strong core of players that played in all three finals.
“We have managed to keep the players that we wanted to hold on to which is a big positive for us.
“Going into next season we have to start again and put in that hard work through pre-season and try and find ways in which we can improve.
“Getting the new boys fitting into the environment as quickly as possible will also be key for us and then just building to that first match of the season.”
CEO of KZN Cricket Heinrich Strydom is excited by the squad that the Dolphins are going to have available to them next season.
“We’re excited that we have retained the stability and talent of our core group of players and have added young, exciting talent to the mix,” Strydom said.
“We want to thank the players that are moving on to other teams and wish them all the best. It’s encouraging to see the value placed on players from KZN by other teams around the country.
“2020/21 was an unprecedented season for KZN Cricket and the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and we feel this squad of players can continue that momentum into the new season.”
Hollywoodbets Dolphins Squad 2021/22
Marques Ackerman, Ottneil Baartman, Eathan Bosch, Ruan De Swardt, Daryn Dupavillon, SJ Erwee, Thamsanqa Khumalo, Kerwin Mungroo, Lifa Ntanzi, Thando Ntini, Bryce Parsons, Keegan Petersen, Grant Roelofsen, Jason Smith, Prenelan Subrayen, Khaya Zondo.
