Following on from their epic triumph in the One-Day Cup over the weekend, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins are back in CSA 4-Day Domestic Series action this week against the NWU North West Dragons at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium starting on Thursday.
It’s been an unforgettable month of cricket for the Dolphins who went on a memorable unbeaten run in the 50 over competition which ultimately ended at the final where they beat Goldrush Boland by four wickets.
The team had a few days to celebrate that win, but they are back in work mode ahead of what could be a pivotal match in the context of the overall 4-Day Series with a number of teams in the running for a spot in the final.
The Dolphins currently sit in fifth place on the table with one win, one loss and two draws from their four matches. Coach Quinton Friend wants the team to continue to ride the momentum of their recent triumph.
“We’ve just tried to get the guys accustomed to facing the red ball again as quickly as possible,” Friend said.
“I don’t think things change a huge amount based purely on the fact that 50 over cricket is probably closer to four-day cricket than anything else.
“The drive is there to want to win this trophy, and we have to concentrate on our processes and take it day by day, but I know that the team is driven to do well in this competition.”
The Dolphins might see a slight change in the team make up with the likes of Keshav Maharaj, SJ Erwee, Daryn Dupavillon and Okuhle Cele all returning to the side.
“Some guys have missed out on selection through the One-Day Cup because we’ve had some great performances.
“There have been quality players who have sat on the sidelines through the 50 over competition but we can probably expect to see a lot of them back this week.
“There are a few guys who probably have to get a bit of a rest because they played practically the whole One-Day Cup competition.”
From a bowling perspective Friend and his coaching staff have had to manage their stocks in order to make sure they have the best attack possible.
“As management we’ve had conversations with our players, and we’ve made sure that we are able to have our freshest bowling attack available playing at all times.
“We’ve had great buy-in from the bowlers in this regard and it shows exactly what this team is about and what they want to achieve,” Friend added.
With the return of Keshav Maharaj, he will captain the Dolphins side for the match.
Hollywoodbets Dolphins squad:
Khaya Zondo, Sarel Erwee, Hanu Viljoen (w/k), Jason Smith, Tristan Luus, Romashan Pillay, Keshav Maharaj (cpt), Bryce Parsons, Andile Simelane, Prenelan Subrayen, Daryn Dupavillon, Tshepang Dithole, Okuhle Cele, Slade van Staden