The Dolphins will be eyeing more domestic success when they get their Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge campaign under way this weekend. ANDRE HUISAMEN details three players worth looking out for.
The men from Durban has been South Africa’s in-form team in the limited-overs formats for two seasons now and will be backed by home-ground advantage to continue that consistency. The Dolphins are coming off back-to-back Momentum One-Day Cup triumphs and pose a similar threat in the shortest format.
READ: Three players to watch: The Lions
Keshav Maharaj
The Proteas spinner will lead the Dolphins team for the competition and is slowly beginning to put his hand up in limited-overs cricket. Maharaj is eager to change his image from just a Test player to an all-format candidate. He was the key bowler on the Proteas’ recent trip to Pakistan, where he fought bravely to keep the visitors in the contest. The Durban conditions should favour him as well and given his experience, he could lead the Dolphins to even greater success.
Keegan Petersen
Petersen was unavailable to feature in last month’s Momentum One-Day Cup due his involvement with the Proteas. It’s been close to a year since he last played any limited-overs cricket, meaning he could be set for a big week down on the east coast. This competition will be the ideal opportunity for Petersen to prove himself again in the white-ball format where he could bat just as potently as in the longer format. Petersen will be one of the star batsmen worth watching on in the context of his Proteas future as well as his ability to score freely.
Ruan de Swardt
De Swardt is a player for the future with an enormous amount of talent. His versatility is really a gift to the Dolphins, who have benefited from his abilities the whole season. De Swardt has carried his weight in all departments since last year and made it clear that he wants to be South African cricket’s Ben Stokes. He had a very successful campaign in Potchefstroom with the Dolphins, winning the Momentum One-Day Cup alongside the Lions. He will be a great weapon for Maharaj to deploy at various stages of the campaign.
Dolphins squad: Keshav Maharaj (c), Sarel Erwee, Khaya Zondo, Kerwin Mungroo, Robbie Frylinck, Keegan Petersen, Grant Roelofsen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Ruan de Swardt, Daryn Dupavillon, Mangaliso Mosehle, Senuran Muthusamy, Prenelan Subrayen, Eathan Bosch, Ottneil Baartman.
