The KZN Dolphins, who initially didn’t make the playoffs, were crowned One-Day Cup champions on Sunday.
The Dolphins finished fourth on the log after the league stage – outside of the playoffs – only to be moved up to second when the EP Warriors were docked five log points by CSA for only selecting two black African players among their required six players of colour (instead of three) for their match against the Dolphins in Durban on 16 February, with the Dolphins awarded four log points.
The Dolphins then hosted and won the qualifier playoff against the Northerns Titans at Kingsmead on Wednesday to set up a decider with Boland.
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On Sunday, the visitors clinched what turned out to be a tense four-wicket win.
In what was relatively low-scoring chase of 248, the visitors lost wickets at key intervals throughout to keep the hosts interested as they took the game to the final over where the result was confirmed with five balls to spare.
That Boland took the game so deep was down to two men – Ayabulela Gqamane and Imran Manack – after they combined for a 97-run eighth-wicket stand that rescued their side from a precarious 142-7 to reach 247-8.
Both men hit half-centuries, the former top-scoring with 69 off 77 balls (seven fours, one six) and the latter hitting 50* off 39 balls (five fours, two sixes), with captain Clyde Reeves-Fortuin just about holding the early part of the innings together with 54 off 64 balls (one four).
But veteran opener Jon-Jon Smuts then played a telling contribution for the KwaZulu-Natalians, striking a priceless 91 off 111 balls (11 fours) to keep them ahead of the game, with rookie Hanu Viljoen (35* off 48 balls) holding his nerve to finish the job.
The result helped the Dolphins win their first 50-over title since they shared the trophy with the Central Gauteng Lions in 2020-21, a season after they won it outright.
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They were the superior team for most of the final and took charge from the outset when they won the toss and batted.
Captain Prenelan Subrayen (2-35) opened the bowling and struck with his spin in the third over when he trapped Blayde Capell lbw for two.
Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj (2-36) caused similar damaging from the other end with his double taking out Gavin Kaplan (six) and Aviwe Mgijima (one). And when Andile Simelane cleaned up Lehan Botha for one, the hosts were in deep trouble at 23-4 in the 12th over.
Reeves-Fortuin and former Dolphins star Grant Roelofsen (41) then began damage control with a 50-run fourth wicket stand, before more wickets put the visitors back in charge at 90-6.
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And when the skipper fell to Tristan Luus (2-32), Boland looked like they would fold quickly. However, Gqamane and Manack had other ideas as they played smartly to lift their side to a competitive 247.
For the hosts to challenge, they needed early wickets. They got one when Tshepang Dithole fell to Glenton Stuurman for 11, though that proved their only early success.
Smuts and Bryce Parsons (30) put on 69 for the next wicket, before the latter was removed by Shaun von Berg (1-48) and new man Jason Smith (one) followed quickly to Siyabonga Mahima (3-25).
However, Khaya Zondo (45) helped Smuts edge the Dolphins closer with a 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
That was ended by the outstanding Mahima, who also got rid of key man Smuts with just under 60 still needed.
But Viljoen, supported by Eathan Bosch (20), held his nerve to get the visitors over the line as they sealed a memorable win.
Meanwhile, the KZN Inland Tuskers and Eastern Cape Iinyathi were crowned joint champions of the Division 2 One Day Cup after persistent rain brought a premature end to the final at the Pietermaritzburg Oval.
Despite efforts to resume play, inclement weather conditions on both the scheduled match day and the reserve day meant that no further action was possible, leading to the two teams sharing the trophy.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
