DAY 3: Western Province senses victory while Dolphins struggle

Posted : 01 November 2024

Off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen delivered a remarkable performance by claiming 7 wickets for 61 runs, totaling 10 wickets in the match. His efforts were pivotal in dismissing WSB Western Province for 225 runs during their second innings on the third day of the CSA 4-Day Series at Kingsmead in Durban. By the afternoon session, the match was turning in favor of the Hollywoodbets Dolphins, who were well-positioned to chase down a challenging target.

As the home side prepared to bat, they finished the day at 88 for 4, still requiring 154 runs for victory. The pitch conditions appeared to be deteriorating, increasingly favoring the spinners, which heightened the chances of a visitor victory despite Subrayen’s outstanding bowling display. The Dolphins faced a formidable challenge ahead, particularly with a lengthy tail in their batting lineup and the absence of Marques Ackerman, who suffered a hamstring injury the previous day.

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The Dolphins began their innings with a positive mindset, with Sarel Erwee and Tshepang Dithole showing intent early on. Dithole, in particular, was aggressive, scoring 16 runs before falling to Beuran Hendricks, edging a delivery to wicketkeeper Daniel Smith. Erwee continued the charge, forming a solid partnership with Slade van Staden as they added 42 runs. However, Erwee's innings came to an end when he attempted a risky reverse sweep off George Linde, top-edging the ball to Mthiwekhaya Nabe, departing after scoring 42 runs off 77 balls.

After starting strongly at 69 for 1, the Dolphins quickly lost momentum, suffering a collapse that saw them lose their next two wickets for just four runs. Kyle Simmonds, who previously took 6 wickets in the first innings, was introduced early into the attack and claimed two more vital wickets. He dismissed Van Staden for 12 and trapped Sean Whitehead, who was on loan from KZN Inland, leg before wicket for a duck. With Jason Smith remaining unbeaten on 16, he is the only recognized batter left in the lineup, raising doubts about the Dolphins’ ability to chase down the target set by Western Province.

The morning started with both teams in a balanced position, as Province had an overall lead of 81 runs at 65 for 4 in their second innings. The Dolphins needed to wrap up Province's innings quickly, especially after witnessing Subrayen's consistent threat on the pitch during the previous day's play. However, the morning session turned out to be less dangerous for the batters, with Province opener Jonathan Bird and George Linde negotiating the bowlers without much trouble.

Bird, 23, showed his class by cover-driving Daryn Dupavillon for a boundary and later secured his second first-class half-century with a single in the fifth over. While Subrayen maintained his economy, the pace bowlers, barring Okuhle Cele's brief aggressive spell, struggled to exert consistent pressure on the Province batsmen. The first wicket for the Dolphins came as a surprise in the second hour when Bird, looking to drive Subrayen, chipped a catch to Dupavillon at short extra cover, concluding his innings at 64 runs. His partnership with Linde was vital, yielding 75 runs for the fifth wicket.

Following Bird’s dismissal, Mihlali Mpongwana quickly followed suit, falling prey to Subrayen as he drove too early, resulting in a fine return catch for the bowler, marking his fifth wicket. After the lunch break, Linde and Simmonds added 56 runs to the score before Linde was leg before wicket while attempting a sweep against Subrayen. The ongoing battle between the batters and bowlers set the stage for an intriguing final phase of the match, with the visitors keen to celebrate a victory by lunchtime on Saturday.

DAY 3: Western Province senses victory while Dolphins struggle

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