Durban – The Hollywoodbets Dolphins travel to Sahara Willowmore Park Benoni for their fifth match of their RAM SLAM T20 Challenge campaign where they take on the table-topping Multiply Titans on Friday evening.
Heading into the halfway stage of the tournament, the Dolphins are currently tied for second place on the log despite have two of their last three matches lost to weather and will be looking to make a statement against the Titans.
“You’ve got two choices, I think, going into this game,” coach Grant Morgan mentioned.
“We can think about being underdone having lost two games to weather or we can go out there and say what an absolute privilege to play against a side like the Titans.
“We have been training fairly hard and if we are a bit underdone, so what. We could maybe say that the other sides are a bit tired.”
The Titans have been in dangerous form in the early stages of the RAM SLAM and with a Protea-laden squad to pick from Morgan believes that playing against the best is what cricket is all about.
“What more do you want as a player and a man? You have a chance to play some of the best players in the country.”
A strong Dolphins squad will make the trip up to Gauteng and Morgan believes that they have the personnel to cover all likely circumstances despite injuries to Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Rabian Engelbrecht, Okuhle Cele and Lwandiswa Zuma.
“We have got a set-up that allows us to go into a game with a really deep batting line-up with Keshav Maharaj at eight and potentially Prenelan Subrayen at nine.
“Or we can go into a game with seven bowling options so we can adapt to the situation if needed,” he added.
With the frantic nature of T20 cricket breaking the game right down into two or one over patches can be vital in gaining the advantage over your opponent.
“All of our players must be ready for those two over contributions. It might only be one over even.
“Your one over might be only conceding seven runs and that could be the match winning over.
“Depending on what the conditions are or how the pitch reacts, everyone has to be ready to make any sort of contribution,” Morgan stressed.
The Titans’ ability this season to see off sides comfortably could prove to be a slight curse, according to Morgan.
“If the guys at the top make one wrong decision or one mistake that brings in the guy’s lower down that haven’t been exposed yet in the competition this year.”
After Friday’s match the Dolphins have a week long break before a frantic final push in the RAM SLAM that sees them play five games in nine days in the lead up to the play-offs.
The Hollywoodbets Dolphins’ next game is a home game against the WSB Cape Cobras at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Friday, 1 December.
HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS SQUAD:
Sarel Erwee, Morne Van Wyk, Khaya Zondo (c), Sibonelo Makhanya, Andile Phehlukwayo, Rob Frylinck, Keshav Maharaj, Prenelan Subrayen, Athi Maposa, Eathan Bosch, Imran Tahir, Mthokozisi Shezi, Dane Vilas.
For more information go to www.dolphinscricket.co.za
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