Asked to bowl first in their thrilling Sunfoil Series tie against the bizhub Highveld Lions at Bidvest Wanderers, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins showcased grit by bowling the hosts out for 207/7 on day one.
The Dolphins made savvy use of the early morning pitch conditions at the Wanderers. Kerwin Mungroo made an early impact by catching Stephen Cook in the slips for a single run in the fourth over.
South African cricket star Reeza Hendricks teamed up with Omphile Ramela to rebuild the innings cautiously, until Hendricks fell to Eathan Bosch, marking Bosch’s first wicket in red-ball cricket for the Dolphins.
Shortly after, debutant Okuhle Cele took his first wicket with the Dolphins, dismissing Rassie van der Dussen caught by Vaughn van Jaarsveld for five runs.
Cele struck again soon after, claiming Dane Vilas, who was out for a duck, leaving the Lions struggling at 45/4 after 20 overs.
The Lions were rescued by two sturdy partnerships, both involving Ramela. First, he partnered with Dwaine Pretorius for a 37-run stand, followed by a 70-run partnership with Wiaan Mulder, before Ramela was caught out for a patient 60 runs.
Pretorius became Allianz Bosch’s second wicket, ending the day with impressive figures of 2/32 across 13 overs.
Okuhle Cele’s bowling was economical and effective, delivering 2/19 from 11 overs at a rate of just 1.72 runs per over, the second-best figures for the Dolphins on the opening day.
Ramela, who has been in great form, was also Senuran Muthusamy’s first victim, with Muthusamy further claiming Mulder’s wicket for 38 runs. The late wickets brought the Dolphins back into the hunt before bad light stopped play with the Lions standing at 207/7.
Left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy topped the day’s bowling stats with a disciplined performance, finishing with 3/20 from 13 overs.
Another highlight for the Dolphins was Vaughn van Jaarsveld, who took three catches with his second catch marking his 100th in first-class cricket.
For full details and regular updates, visit www.dolphinscricket.co.za.
