• Parsons comes of age in Dolphins win

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    A maiden first-class ton from Bryce Parsons guided the KZN Dolphins to an eight-wicket 4-Day Series win over Western Province at Kingsmead on Tuesday.

    The 22-year-old left-hander, who battled cramps during his innings, finished on 134* off 277 balls.

    He and Ruan de Swardt (89* off 177 balls) produced a 208-run partnership as the Dolphins celebrated their first victory of the competition.

    “It was a great feeling to get that maiden first-class hundred, but it was an even better feeling to get the team over the line,” Parsons said.

    “I think it was a bit of an up and down three days, a bit of a roller coaster, but it’s great to be on the right side of the result.”

    Despite a disappointing first innings display, Parsons and the team felt that 273 was going to be chasable.

    “We knew what we had to do. I thought it was going to be a bit of a challenge on that wicket, but with good knocks from Ruan de Swardt and a good start from Roelfie [Grant Roelofsen], it was great to get the win.”

    The Dolphins were searching for the final wicket of the Western Province’s second innings when they began proceedings on Tuesday morning.

    Kyle Simmonds and Tshepo Moreki added a further 30 runs to their overnight total before Keshav Maharaj picked up the final wicket to finish with figures of 7-75.

    The Dolphins made a strong start to their fourth-innings chase as Parsons and Grant Roelofsen put on 48 for the first wicket before the latter was caught off the bowling of Simmonds for 24.

    Keegan Petersen fell for just six to see the team 65-2 heading into the afternoon session on day three.

    After the loss of their second wicket, it became the Parsons, De Swardt show as the pair dug in and ground down the Western Province bowlers to put together a match-winning partnership.

    Parsons was hit by cramp during his innings, but he continued to defy the Province bowlers as his epic knock saw the Dolphins to an important win in the competition.

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    Simon Borchardt