Ken Borland

The size of their target may have been a meagre 197, but the Dolphins needed a tremendously determined partnership between all-rounders Senuran Muthusamy and Robbie Frylinck to get them home by three wickets in their exciting Momentum One-Day Cup semi-final against the Cape Cobras in Potchefstroom on Monday.

The Dolphins had crashed to 58 for five when the pair came together, but they negotiated a big-turning pitch with aplomb, adding 112 off 132 balls to all but seal victory.

The burly Frylinck was the more imposing of the two as he hammered 62 off 60 balls, while Muthusamy played the ideal support role with his 57 off 82 deliveries.

They were dismissed in successive overs but by then the Dolphins only needed 17 more runs, which captain Prenelan Subrayen and Eathan Bosch sorted out with a trio of boundaries.

Eathan’s brother Corbin had struck two big blows up front, swinging the ball late to remove Mangaliso Mosehle and Marques Ackerman for ducks in the first over.

Off-spinner Imraan Manack, opening the bowling with Bosch, then left the Dolphins with a daunting task as he bowled both Grant Roelofsen (34) and Ruan de Swardt (5) with deliveries that turned a mile.

But the size of the fight, as well as their skill and composure, was too great in Muthusamy and Frylinck and the Dolphins will now meet the winners of Tuesday’s semifinal between the Imperial Lions and the Knights in Thursday’s final.

Opening bowler Frylinck (9.2-0-25-2) and left-arm spinner Muthusamy (9-0-34-2) had also played starring roles in the Dolphins attack as the Cobras, who were sent in to bat, were bowled out for just 196 in the 47^th over.

The Cobras were well-placed at one stage as Tony de Zorzi, who showed great composure in battling through a tough time up front and making 61 off 71 balls, and Jason Smith (37) took them to 83 for one in the 19^th over.

But paceman Ottneil Baartman produced an inspired spell as he took three for 15 in five overs, and the rest of the Dolphins attack just continued to squeeze pressure on the Cobras batsmen.

Pakistan-bound Janneman Malan and Nandre Burger showed important signs of hot form as they led the Cape Cobras to a vital 76-run win over the Imperial Lions in their Momentum One-Day Cup match in Potchefstroom on Friday.

The victory keeps the Cape Cobras alive in the competition and their match against the Warriors on Saturday will decide who goes through to the semi-finals with the Lions, who were already guaranteed first place on the log and rested some key players.

Malan and debutant Burger have both been included in the Proteas squad for the T20 series in Pakistan that starts on February 11.

Opening batsman Malan blazed 95 off 97 balls to lead the Cobras to a formidable 284 for five, with brother Pieter scoring 53 in a first-wicket stand of 131 with the Protea. A run-a-ball 40 from captain Zubayr Hamza and the talented Jonathan Bird’s 50 not out off 47 balls added the finishing touches to the innings.

Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin, who is also heading for Pakistan, continued his fine tournament as he was the pick of the Lions bowlers with two for 42 in nine overs.

Left-arm quick Burger then had the Lions under pressure from the outset with a feisty new-ball burst in which he also swung the ball, bowling Reeza Hendricks (another T20 squad member but sadly out of form) for just 6 with a beauty.

Burger deserved much better than his final figures of two for 51 in nine overs, and seamer Onke Nyaku then built on the pressure created with some outstanding bowling of his own to take four for 29 in 10 overs as the Lions were bowled out for 208, giving the Cobras a bonus point which puts them level-pegging with the Warriors on the log.

Fortuin lashed 39 off 29 balls and Eldred Hawken scored a run-a-ball 37, but they were ancillary efforts as by then the required run-rate was almost 10 runs-per-over and the Lions were seven down. Nicky van den Bergh was the only other batsman to threaten the Cobras as he scored 35.

Lanky off-spinner Imraan Manack played a good supporting tole to the Cobras seamers as he took two for 31 in 7.4 overs.

The Imperial Lions sealed first place in Pool B of the Momentum One-Day Cup with their six-wicket win over the Warriors in Potchefstroom on Thursday, with Dominic Hendricks (91*) and Delano Potgieter (96*) taking them to victory with 20 balls to spare with an unbeaten stand of 156 for the fifth wicket.

Hendricks’ 91 not out came off 109 deliveries and was a beautifully controlled innings as the in-form left-hander stroked eight fours and anchored the Lions’ chase as they went for their target of 248. Potgieter, a powerful left-hander who likes to give the ball a good whack, batted with impressive composure as his 96 not out came off 105 deliveries and eventually included four sixes.

With a mixture of probing spin bowling and seam, the Warriors had reduced the Lions to 97 for four in the 18^th over, and with Potgieter being the last of the specialist batsman, the batting side was certainly under pressure. But the pair showed good judgement to get through the tricky period and ultimately romp to victory.

The Lions made a tight start in the field after losing the toss, through spinner Bjorn Fortuin opening the bowling with seamer Eldred Hawken, who dismissed Matthew Breetzke early on for 5. But Jon-Jon Smuts and Wihan Lubbe managed to escape the ever-tightening noose and added 134 for the second wicket in 29 overs.

Canny left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso removed both, trapping Lubbe lbw for 60, but he could only dismiss Smuts after the Protea had reached a commanding century. Smuts was out for 102 off 119 balls in the 41^st over, with the Warriors well set on 183 for three.

But the Lions bowlers landed all the blows from then on, claiming the last six wickets for just 64 runs as the Warriors closed on 247 for nine.

Left-arm spinners Fortuin, with three for 52, and Phangiso, with two for 37, led the Lions attack.

The Lions, with their game-plans in good nick, now take on the Cape Cobras in their last game on Friday.

Victory for the Imperial Lions in their Momentum One-Day Cup game against the Warriors in Potchefstroom on Thursday will ensure they end at the top of Pool B, but for captain Aaron Phangiso, the focus is on ensuring they maintain the momentum from their opening two bonus-point wins.

The Warriors themselves claimed a bonus-point triumph in their 81-run hammering of the Cape Cobras on Wednesday, rebounding from the 42-run defeat the Lions inflicted on them last weekend. And while it would take some extraordinary results now for the Lions to miss out on the semi-finals and they are considering tinkering with their line-up, Phangiso said there would be no let-up in their intensity.

“Any team would like the start we’ve had and it gives us the opportunity to maybe play around with our batting line-up and there’s always room for improvement. So it’s a nice position to be in, but we’re definitely not going to sit back and relax. We want to play good cricket every game so that if we get into the semi-finals then we are still playing well.

“There is a bit less pressure on us so we are more at ease, but every game is important and the guys pride themselves on their performance so we will still be putting our foot down. The last thing we want is to lose the momentum we’ve gained,” Phangiso said.

It has been the outstanding bowling attack of the Lions that has led the way for them, and Phangiso said he believes the national team should be looking closely at their performances.

“I hope the Proteas are looking at our games because that combination of Sisanda Magala and Eldred Hawken up front has been great. Sisanda is definitely Proteas material and Eldred is shining again, showing last season’s success didn’t happen by chance. Malusi Siboto has played franchise cricket for years and Bjorn Fortuin is also doing a great job.

“The guys know the plans and are sticking to them, they’re just focusing on getting the basics right. As a captain, it makes my job so much easier,” Phangiso said.

The slow left-armer has himself led from the front with the ball, conceding just 62 runs in his 17 overs and has taken three wickets.

The Warriors’ orthodox left-arm spinner Jon-Jon Smuts has also been outstanding, taking three wickets against both the Lions and the Cobras to be the most successful bowler. How the batsmen of the Lions and Warriors handle the spin threat will be the key factor in Thursday’s game as the Senwes Park pitch has been decidedly sub-continental in nature.