Outstanding bowling by Keshav Maharaj and Robbie Frylinck paved the way for the Dolphins to climb to the top of the One-Day Cup table with a thumping six-wicket bonus-point win over the Knights in Bloemfontein on Friday.

Captain Maharaj claimed four for 32 in his 10 overs, while seamer Frylinck sent down a miserly eight overs, returning two for 13, including two maidens, to help dismiss the hosts for a paltry 134.

It was a third successive batting meltdown by the Central Franchise, with the visitors then needing just 21.4 overs to charge to victory – Grant Roelofsen top-scoring with 56 off 44 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes).

READ: Bavuma enjoying white-ball cricket

Victory was a third in four games for the Dolphins and lifted them top of the standings with 14 points from four games.

They were dominant almost throughout the contest at the Mangaung Oval, with the exception being possibly the opening overs when 38 were put on by the first pair of Raynard van Tonder (40) and Jacques Snyman (21).

But after the stand was broken by Frylinck in the ninth over, the veteran medium-pacer cleaned up Keegan Petersen (0) in the same over, followed by Maharaj accounting for Andries Gous (17). Obus Pienaar (3) was run out and top-scorer Van Tonder then fell to the skipper.

Another of the Dolphins’ stand-out bowlers, Senuran Muthusamy, who nabbed one for 11 in six overs, accounted for the Knights’ last real fighter, their captain Wandile Makwetu (21), as they eventually fell in 39.5 overs.

Their total followed on from the poor 115 and 164 made in their first two games.

The men from KwaZulu-Natal then wasted little time in changing down the target, getting there with 170 balls to spare.

Roelofsen and Sarel Erwee (16) opened up with 44 for the first wicket, with Marques Ackerman (27) and Sibonelo Makhanya (21 not out from seven balls) helping complete the job in a one-sided win.

Photo: Gallo Images