The Warriors pulled off a surprise 93-run victory on the final morning of their 4-Day Franchise Series match against the Dolphins at Kingsmead.
Chasing a pleasant target of 217 for victory, the Dolphins were looking well set at 42-0 and 89-2, before brilliant bowling by JJ Smuts, Sisanda Magala and Simon Harmer saw the Dolphins rolled unceremoniously for 123 in 43 overs.
Cody Chetty top-scored with 33 off 39 balls after Sarel Erwee (25 off 52) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (18 off 54) had taken the Dolphins to 42 without loss. A major collapse saw the last seven Dolphins wickets fall for just 34 runs as the Warriors powered their way to an important win that pushed the Warriors up to third on the log, while the Titans and the Dolphins occupy the two bottom spots.
Smuts took 4-17 and Magala 3-7, backed up by Harmer with 2-55.
Warriors No 3 batter Colin Ackermann was named Player of the Match for his second-innings century that gave the Dolphins a target to defend.
‘When you have two or three opportunities to put the game away and you don’t take them, it can really hurt,’ said Dolphins coach Grant Morgan.
‘We have done the introspection but we aren’t seeing the results of that, and I will take responsibility for that. It’s not good enough and we will have to find a way to come back from this. There is a big difference between say and do and we have now got another opportunity to do when we go to Cape Town next week,’ added Morgan ahead of the Dolphins match against the Cobras at Newlands.
Warriors 175 (Gihahn Cloete 63, Edward Moore 37; Eathan Bosch 6-38, Robbie Frylinck 2-33) & 376 (Colin Ackermann 100, Clyde Fortuin 66, Gihahn Cloete 54, Sisanda Magala 51; Senuran Muthusamy 6-98, Robbie Frylinck 2-69)
Dolphins 335 (Sarel Erwee 44, Vaughn van Jaarsveld 138, Sibonelo Makhanya 54 not out; Lutho Sipamla 4-59, Sisanda Magala 2-58, Anrich Nortje 2-103; Robbie Frylinck 1-25) & 123 (Cody Chetty 33, Sarel Erwee 25, Vaughn van Jaarsveld 18; JJ Smuts 4-17, Sisanda Magala 3-7, Simon Harmer 2-55)
Warriors won by 93 runs
4-Day Franchise Series
Lions 377 (Temba Bavuma 94, Nicky van den Bergh 59, Rassie van der Dussen 32; Ottniel Baartman 3-48, Mbulelo Budaza 2-60, Ryan McLaren 1-64, Duanne Olivier 1-70)
Lions won by an innings and 22 runs
Titans 122 (Theunis de Bruyn 61, Shaun von Berg 22; Tladi Bokako 4-57, Dane Paterson 3-34, Jason Smith 2-21) & 408 (Theunis de Bruyn 147, Jonathan Vandiar 98, Tony de Zorzi 47, Henry Davids 42; Dane Paterson 4-78, Tladi Bokako 3-94, Dane Piedt 2-102)
Cape Cobras 337 (Jason Smith 92, David Bedingham 84, Kyle Verreynne 42; Alfred Mothoa 3-68, Shaun von Berg 4-70, Neil Brand 1-38) & 204-2 (Pieter Malan 87, Janneman Malan 63, Zubayr Hamza 39; Eldred Hawken 1-54, Junior Dala 1-55)
Cobras won by eight wickets
Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
