Ken Borland

27-year-old Jason Smith is a proper adult in cricketing terms, and his maturity was on full display on Wednesday as he steered the KZN Dolphins to victory in their CSA Provincial T20 Knockout quarterfinal against the Eastern Province Warriors in Kimberley.

KZN were chasing a mediocre total of 128, but paceman Glenton Stuurman (4-0-18-2) imposed himself with the new ball as they crashed to 33-4 after seven overs.

But Smith then came to the wicket and, striking the ball cleanly for three fours and three sixes, but also working the gaps really cleverly, struck 60 not out (41) to ensure a win for KZN by six wickets with four balls left.

Keegan Petersen weathered the early storm, batting through to score 38*.

EP in the end did well to post 127-9 after they had chosen to bat first and slumped to 8-3 in the first three overs as Daryn Dupavillon produced a fiery display of fast bowling, ending with explosive figures of 4- 18.

He wasn’t threatening to send anyone to hospital, but he targeted the stumps superbly, dismissing both openers, Lubbe (lbw) and Breetzke (bowled) for first-ball ducks and then having Smuts caught behind off an inside edge.

The Warriors were rescued by Diego Rosier’s composed 51 off 41 balls and a patient 28 by Sinethemba Qeshile.

Young Duan Jansen was the star of the show as the North-West Dragons snatched victory by three runs over the Boland Rocks in their quarterfinal.

Excellent bowling by Boland, especially spinners Manack and Mahima, reduced North-West to 104 for five in the 14^th over with the dismissal of opener Eben Botha for 41 (34).

Lesego Senokwane (40 off 31) was then run out brilliantly by wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin, but Jansen lifted the Dragons to 156-8 with some hearty blows, slamming 27 off 21 balls.

Brothers Janneman (74* off 56) and Pieter Malan (46 off 38) had Boland well on track though with their opening stand of 108 in 12.5 overs.

But impressive 18-year-old spinner Caleb Seleka (4-0-25-2) removed Proteas Pieter Malan and Christiaan Jonker in successive overs and Jansen dismissed the dangerous Fortuin.

Nevertheless Jansen only had nine runs to defend in the final over. But Adams (21 off 13) stupidly ran himself out, wicketkeeper Nicky van den Bergh doing great work, and Janneman Malan failed to make contact with a couple of shots and in the end Jansen (4-0-19-2) conceded just five runs off the last over.

Jason Smith is 27 years old now so a proper adult in cricketing terms, and his maturity was on full display on Wednesday as he steered the KZN Dolphins to victory in their CSA Provincial T20 Knockout quarterfinal against the Eastern Province Warriors in Kimberley.

KZN were chasing a mediocre total of 128, but paceman Glenton Stuurman (4-0-18-2) imposed himself with the new ball as the Dolphins crashed to 33 for four after seven overs.

But Smith then came to the wicket and, striking the ball cleanly for three fours and three sixes, but also working the gaps really cleverly, he struck 60 not out off 41 balls to ensure a win for the Dolphins by six wickets with four balls to spare.

Opening batsman Keegan Petersen weathered the early storm, batting through to score 38 not out.

Eastern Province in the end did well to post 127 for nine after they had chosen to bat first and slumped to 8 for three in the first three overs as Daryn Dupavillon produced a fiery display of fast bowling.

He bowled a fullish length so he wasn’t threatening to send anyone to hospital, but he targeted the stumps superbly, dismissing both openers, Wihan Lubbe (lbw) and Matthew Breetzke (bowled) for first-ball ducks and then having Jon-Jon Smuts caught behind off an inside edge.

The Warriors were rescued by Diego Rosier’s composed 51 off 41 balls and a patient 28 by Sinethemba Qeshile.

Dupavillon ended with explosive figures of four for 18, but fellow pacemen Ottneil Baartman (4-0-21-1), Thando Ntini (4-0-25-2) and Ruan de Swardt (4-0-17-1) also did a fine job.

Young Duan Jansen was the star of the show as the North-West Dragons snatched victory by three runs over the Boland Rocks in the last quarterfinal.

Excellent bowling by Boland, especially their spinners Imraan Manack (4-0-23-1) and Siyabonga Mahima (4-0-24-1), reduced North-West to 104 for five in the 14^th over with the dismissal of opener Eben Botha for 41 off 34 balls.

Lesego Senokwane (40 off 31) was then run out brilliantly by wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin two overs later, but Jansen lifted the Dragons to 156-8 with some hearty blows, slamming 27 off 21 balls.

But brothers Janneman (74* off 56) and Pieter Malan (46 off 38) had Boland well on track for victory with their opening stand of 108 in 12.5 overs.

But impressive 18-year-old spinner Caleb Seleka (4-0-25-2) removed Proteas Pieter Malan and Christiaan Jonker in successive overs and Jansen dismissed the dangerous Clyde Fortuin in between.

Nevertheless Jansen only had nine runs to defend in the final over. But Ferisco Adams (21 off 13) stupidly ran himself out, wicketkeeper Nicky van den Bergh doing great work, and the left-arm quick dismissed big-hitting Hardus Viljoen.

Janneman Malan failed to make contact with a couple of shots and in the end Jansen (4-0-19-2) conceded just five runs off the last over.

The Cape Cobras also suffered a parlous mid-innings collapse as they went down to the Dolphins on the first day of the CSA T20 Challenge at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.

Chasing 156 for victory, the Cobras were cruising on 70 for one after 10 overs with Tony de Zorzi (39) and Kyle Verreynne (29) well set.

But Proteas star Keshav Maharaj bowled De Zorzi in the 11^th over and also dismissed Verreynne, well-stumped by Grant Roelofsen off a superb piece of slow left-arm spin, in the same over.

Fellow spinner Prenelan Subrayen also chipped in with the wicket of George Linde (1) and the Cobras subsided to 106 for seven, mirroring the Knights’ collapse earlier in the day against the Titans when they slumped to 116 all out from 84 for two.

Some lusty blows by Christiaan Jonker (41* off 25) lifted the Cobras to 141 for seven, but they were also-rans by then, ultimately losing by 14 runs.

Maharaj finished with magnificent figures of four for 15 in his four overs, while off-spinner Subrayen was also excellent with one for 19.

The Dolphins, who won the toss and batted, found themselves in trouble in the first half of their innings as they struggled to 63 for four.

There were two run outs in their top-order and they were the vital wickets of the in-form Grant Roelofsen for a duck and kingpin David Miller for 16.

But an inspired innings of 59 off 39 balls by Khaya Zondo shifted the momentum away from the Cobras and lifted the Dolphins to 155 for eight.

Andile Phehlukwayo (13) and Robbie Frylinck (17) played their part in consecutive partnerships of 43 and 48 with Zondo.

Zondo fell in the final over and was the middle victim in a superb hat-trick by rookie left-arm spinner Siyabonga Mahima.

The 24-year-old from Mpumalanga finished with four for 18 in three overs having been thrust into bowling the last over in a surprise move by captain Tony de Zorzi. It was the fourth hat-trick in South African T20 franchise history.