Former franchise seamer Quinton Friend has been appointed bowling coach of the Dolphins.

Friend played 32 and 31 first-class matches for the Knights and Dolphins, respectively. He played one for the Cape Cobras and a dozen for South Africa A.

‘It was a no-brainer for me to take up the position. I could not pass up the opportunity to be involved in a franchise set-up,’ said the 37-year-old Friend, who will work alongside new head coach Imraan Khan.

‘It’s a great opportunity for me to be involved in a franchise that has so many young, talented players and if we can improve them by 20 percent then we have done a good job.

‘I think the big difference is that I spent time at the Dolphins during my career and played with Khan as well as some of the players that are still there.

‘It will definitely make things easier coming into a familiar environment and I am keen to hit the ground running.”

KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union academy coach Mdudusi Mbatha, meanwhile, has been named the Dolphins’ fielding coach.

‘I have a million ideas when it comes to drills, techniques and other  and I cannot wait to use that on improving the quality of fielding here at the Dolphins,’ said Mbatha.

‘There are not many fielding specialists left these days and I think that it is an opportunity for me to move into that space and I am looking forward to sharing my passion with the players.

‘I want the guys to be confident in the field and to enjoy it because it is such a big part of the game.’

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