Following their nail-biting defeat on Sunday, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins return home for a mid-week RAM SLAM T20 Challenge clash with the Warriors at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Wednesday.
The Dolphins showed their characteristic grit when they were all-but dead and buried against the bizhub Highveld Lions over the weekend. The Lions required 10 runs from 10 balls with nine wickets in hand and the men from Durban forced the game right down to the final ball where Wiaan Mulder hit Rob Frylinck for four giving them the win by six wickets.
On Wednesday the Dolphins will host the 2016 beaten finalists the Warriors and their record against the team from the Eastern Cape will need improving. The Dolphins have only won one of the last five T20’s with one being abandoned.
The Warriors currently sit at the bottom of the log with two losses from their opening two games and despite their relatively poor start they can halve the gap on the Dolphins should they win.
“I don’t think that we can look at their previous results as an indication of how they are going to play,” captain Khaya Zondo mentioned on Tuesday.
“It doesn’t matter whether they have won two games, lost two games or had two games rained out, it is a matter of who is the better team on the day.
“We need to make sure that we get out there and nail our skills in the 40 overs over the match.”
Despite going down in their last game, Zondo believes firmly that his batting line up will win the Dolphins matches should they all put in a good performance.
“The top order have the licence to go hard because they know that we can bring it back in the middle order should something go wrong.
“You could say we had a bad batting performance (against the Lions) and still got 168. If everything clicks and we get it right we looking at over 190 towards 200,” he stressed.
Last season’s clash at Buffalo Park in East London produced a run fest with the Warriors chasing down 216 to win the match. 77 from Morné van Wyk and 81 from Kevin Pietersen helped the Dolphins to that imposing total before a Jon-Jon Smuts century won the game for the Warriors.
With a smattering of international players in the Dolphins mix, coach Grant Morgan believes that his side has the ability to beat the Warriors should both teams play the perfect game.
“If you take us at 100% and the Warriors at 100%, this is with all due respect, I think that we have the personnel across the board to get over the line against them.
“With that said we are going to have to pitch up and play our best cricket,” Morgan emphasised.
Tickets for Wednesday’s match against the Warriors are available to purchase at www.ticketpro.co.za or at the gate. Gates will open at 17:00 with the match starting at 18:00
Fans who purchased tickets to Friday night’s rained out fixture will be able to redeem those tickets for free entry at Wednesday night clash.
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.