A consumate batting performance from the Sunfoil Dolphins set up a bonus-point win over The Unlimited Titans at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead and created an early divide in the RAM SLAM T20 standings.
The Dolphins top four all scored quick runs as the home side racked up 194 for five after winning the toss and opting to bat, before their spinners restricted the Titans to 130 for nine to record a massive 64-run victory.
The result boosted the Dolphins up to second in the table, and left the Titans without a point from their first three games and nine points adrift of the fourth-placed Cobras, who have a game in hand.
The Dolphins dominated the game from as early as the third over, which saw Morne van Wyk take 21 runs off the bowling of Ethy Mbhalati.
Although Van Wyk (37 off 14 balls) fell to Darren Sammy in the next over the tone was already set, and by the time the Titans earned their next wicket with Sammy dismissing Ram Slammer of the Day Cameron Delport (45 off 29) in the 10th over, the Dolphins had 107 on the board. Cody Chetty (44 from 29) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (38 from 29) also made hay on a warm Durban evening to maintain a run rate of 10 until the final over. The scoreboard pressure took its toll on the Titans batsmen, with the large majority of them getting caught in the deep.
Credit was due to Prenelan Subrayan and Keshav Maharaj, who took out the Titans middle-order as they bowled in tandem and put the squeeze on. Subrayan finished with career-best figures of 3 for 21, while Maharaj took 3 for 23 to claim the Ram Deliverer of the Day award.
Twenty-year-old Corbin Bosch showed that he could wield the willow in just his second game for the Titans, but not even his unbeaten 30 could get the Titans close to the 155 they needed to deny the Dolphins a bonus point.
CURRENT POINTS TABLE
| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | N/R | Pts | Net RR | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | +1.153 | 484/53.1 | 477/60.0 |
| Dolphins | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | +0.908 | 674/80.0 | 560/74.3 |
| Knights | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | +1.817 | 545/60.0 | 436/60.0 |
| Cape Cobras | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | +1.449 | 337/35.4 | 320/40.0 |
| Titans | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.883 | 467/60.0 | 580/60.0 |
| Warriors | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.165 | 402/60.0 | 536/54.2 |
James Buttler
As the editor of World Cricket Badger he is intent on building the website to give quality coverage of the domestic game around the world.
He is also the presenter of the Cricket Badger Radio Show on Radio Yorkshire every Tuesday evening between 7-9pm UK time.
James was the full-time Media Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2010.
James is a published author, a writer/video contributor to many cricket publications and a complete cricket badger!
Latest posts by James Buttler (see all)
- #UAE15: Bon voyage Derbyshire as Champions Yorkshire land in Abu Dhabi - March 13, 2015
- Sussex sign Mahela Jayawardene for NatWest T20 Blast - March 13, 2015
- #CWC15: Shami books India into World Cup quarter after West Indies win - March 6, 2015
