The Hollywoodberts Dolphins were made to fight hard for all of their 282 runs that they got on their curtailed opening day of their Sunfoil Series clash with the WSB Cape Cobras at the Pietermaritzburg Oval on Thursday.
The light had the final say on the first day as the players came from the field with 28 overs of the allocated 96 overs still to be bowled.
It was a tricky start for the Dolphins as they lost Morné van Wyk early on in the piece when he was trapped in front of the bowling of Mthiwekhaya Nabe for a duck which meant the Dolphins were 12/1 in the second over.
A partnership between opener Sarel Erwee and Vaughn van Jaarsveld then ensued with the pair finding the boundary fairly regularly as they took the score past 50; before Erwee was caught down the leg side by wicket keeper Kyle Verreynne off the bowling of Tsepo Moreki for a typically fluent 20.
Van Jaarsveld continued on his effortless way as stroked the ball to all parts of the ground and looked to be set for a long stay at the crease.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins they lost captain Khaya Zondo (4) cheaply and then Van Jaarsveld fell two runs later for 44 when nicked a delivery from Dane Piedt to Verreynne.
This left the men from Durban in a spot of bother on 75/4 with all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy and Dane Vilas at the wicket.
The middle-order stars then went about rebuilding the Dolphins’ innings. Both were patient initially in how they went about digging their side out of the hole they had got into, after winning the toss and batting first.
Muthusamy showed why he has become indispensable for the Dolphins this season with a patient 34 before he was caught by veteran Andrew Puttick off Moreki after lunch.
With the score on 151/5 Vilas continued to be his positive self as he went to another half century. He fell to Dane Paterson for 70 from 76 deliveries with the score on 189.
Sibz Makhanya was done by a terrific yorker from Paterson that saw him on his way LBW for 12 and then Prenelan Subrayen fell to Piedt, also LBW, for two with the score on 207/8.
Rob Frylinck then found himself a more than willing partner in the returning Rabian Engelbrecht and the pair took their side to 268/8 at the tea break.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins Engelbrecht fell in the first over after the tea break for 20.
Following the ninth wicket, Kerwin Mungroo hung around with Frylinck before the umpires called the players from the field due to bad light.
The Dolphins will continue on day two on 282/9.
For more information visit www.dolphinscricket.co.za.
