A maiden career five-for by Okuhle Cele helped the Dolphins make further gains towards a third successive 4-Day Domestic Series win after they closed day three of their clash with the Knights on top in Durban on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old paceman claimed a fine 5-38 in 14.5 overs at Kingsmead, where the visitors were made to follow on after falling for 155 in their first innings – responding to the home side’s 335.
But the central franchise did much better second time of asking by progressing to 110-2 at the close, still needing 70 more to make their hosts bat again.
Bad light did disrupt the game late on the third afternoon forcing a slightly early end to proceedings, although there remained only one side that could win it after another solid day by the coastal side.
Cele, whose previous best performance at first-class level was the 4-115 he took for KwaZulu-Natal against Easterns at Benoni earlier in the current term, was well backed up by the competition’s leading wicket-taker, Prenelan Subrayen, after he claimed 4-49.
Together they put the Dolphins on the front foot from the get-go when the Knights resumed the morning on 86-4.
The first strike of the day came in the ninth over of the day when a 35-run stand between top-scorer Andries Gous (45) and Wandile Makwetu was snapped by the only other wicket-taker in the innings, Kerwin Mungroo (1-14), after he took out the latter for 17.
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Shaun von Berg (0) and Shadley van Schalkwyk (1) followed in the next over when Subrayen struck twice in four balls, suddenly leaving the score at 117-7.
Cele, in his 12th franchise game, then did the rest as the Knights were dismissed in 64.5 overs.
Raynard van Tonder, the leading run-scorer in the competition, then went past 800 runs as he led a strong reply for the Bloemfontein-based visitors.
The young starlet showed admirable application on his way to an unbeaten on 61 (203 balls, 4 fours) at the close, having shared in an opening stand of 92 with Grant Mokoena (36).
But he lost his partner lbw to Subrayen (1-46) in the final hour, with the Dolphins also claiming the late wicket of Patrick Kruger (6) in the penultimate over through the outstanding Senuran Muthusamy – the Proteas all-rounder claiming 1-28 in 23 overs.
Photo: Gallo Images
