Dolphins in strong position v Titans after first day
The Dolphins will enter the second day of their vital Sunfoil Series match against the Unlimited Titans at SuperSport Park in Centurion in a strong position after they dismissed the home side for just 267 and then reached 51 without loss at the close of play on the first day on Thursday.
The Titans had elected to bat first, but national opener Dean Elgar made only a brief visit to the crease, surviving one delivery and then being bowled second ball by Mathew Pillans.
The highly-promising Theunis de Bruyn and Henry Davids, the Titans captain, then added 95 for the second wicket as the Titans went into the lunch break on 95 for one.
The runs flowed freely straight after the interval, with De Bruyn scoring 52 and Davids 79, the partnership being extended to 137, before the persevering Pillans made the breakthrough.
De Bruyn’s concentration deserted him as he prodded outside off stump and was caught behind by Morne van Wyk off Pillans.
Daryn Dupavillon then struck two major blows against the Titans when he dismissed Davids, well-caught at second slip by Daryn Smit, and Roelof van der Merwe, who had the gross misfortune of being caught down the leg side for a duck, in the space of three deliveries.
Graeme van Buuren (34) and Qaasim Adams (24) restored order to the zoo with a fifth-wicket stand of 58, but left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who was the Dolphins’ other key bowler alongside pacemen Dupavillon and Pillans, made the crucial breakthrough by having Adams caught at slip by Smit.
From 209 for four, the Titans tumbled to 267 all out, with wicketkeeper Mangaliso Mosehle the only batsman to stand firm with a bright 41.
The pacy Dupavillon (19-4-67-3) and Pillans (21.1-4-80-3) spearheaded the Dolphins attack and were always at the batsmen on what looked a good batting track, while Maharaj, who at one stage had bowled six overs for four runs, returned outstanding figures of three for 51 in 28 overs.
Divan van Wyk and Imraan Khan, the Dolphins openers, made merry in the 40 minutes before the close, reducing the deficit to 216 runs.
The in-form Khan stroked six boundaries in the 31 balls he faced, breezing to 32 not out, while Van Wyk, the younger brother of captain Morne, was on 17 not out.
Khan was particularly severe on Ethy Mbhalati, taking the veteran seamer for three boundaries in the second over he bowled.