Durban – What a nail-biter! The Hollywoodbets Dolphins suffered a heartbreaker, losing to the bizhub Highveld Lions at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom in a final-ball thriller of the Momentum One Day Cup. This loss denied them the chance to top the tournament log as we head into the new year.
The Lions clinched victory by two wickets, requiring just a single run off the last ball. Hardus Viljoen dashed that run from Calvin Savage’s final delivery, sealing an unforgettable match.
The Dolphins, having won the toss and choosing to bat first, stumbled early with a score of 88/3 after 20 overs, slipping to 163/6 with only twelve overs left. Yet, thanks to a resilient middle-order partnership between Robbie Frylinck (45 runs off 31 balls) and Calvin Savage (37 off 26), the Lions set a challenging target of 254 runs to chase.
The Dolphins’ bowler Mthokosizi Shezi tore through the Lions’ top order, reducing them to 37 for three inside the powerplay. Despite some determined bowling performances from Prenelen Subrayen and Sibz Makhanya – the latter claiming a career-best 3 for 36 from eight overs – the Lions fought back well.
The tense last over saw the Lions needing eight runs with two wickets remaining. A crucial no-ball from Savage on the fourth delivery eased the pressure, eventually allowing them to scrape through.
Coming after a rollercoaster week of results, this finish echoes the recent RAM SLAM encounter between these two teams at the same venue. The Momentum One Day Cup is now wide open with five teams separated by just one point after two rounds, while only the Knights remain winless.
“Losing on the last ball stings and makes you reflect on every small detail,” said skipper Khaya Zondo post-match. “We’ve asked everyone to review their performances to find areas for improvement – whether with bat, ball or in the field.”
“We had control at various stages and our plan was to maintain tight lengths, especially if wickets weren’t coming. The guys stuck to that game plan as best as possible,” he added.
