Dolphins crowned One-Day Cup champions

cricket16 March 2025 16:11| © MWP
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Hollywoodbets Dolphins © Gallo Images

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins were crowned the CSA One-Day Cup champions after securing a tense four-wicket victory over Goldrush Boland at Boland Park in Paarl on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors, fortunate to be involved in the playoffs in the first place, secured the victory from the first ball of the final over, which Hanu Viljoen struck to the mid-wicket fence, running three with Andile Simelane, leaving the home side’s fans staring in despair.

The Dolphins, requiring 248 to win the title, reached 248 for six with five balls to spare in response to Boland’s 247 for eight after Prenelan Subreyan had won the toss and elected to bowl first.

The Dolphins were always in the chase, thanks mainly to a wonderful 91 from Jon-Jon Smuts from 111 balls with 11 boundaries. Smuts was well supported by Bryce Parsons (30) and Khaya Zondo (45). Smuts and Parsons added 69 for the second wicket after Glenton Stuurman (3-1-16-1) had Tshepang Dithole caught behind by Clyde Fortuin for 11.

Siya Mahima (10-1-25-3) and Shaun Von Berg (10-0-48-1) grabbed two quick wickets, with Von Berg taking a catch from his own bowling to dismiss Parsons before Mahima trapped Jason Smith in front for just a single.

However, Smuts and Zondo, who cracked two fours and two sixes during his 44-ball stay, added 78 for the fourth wicket. Zondo then looked to sweep Mahima, but only managed to find Von Berg at short fine leg with a top-edge.

The hosts thought they were back in the match when Smuts tamely popped a ball back to Mahima just nine runs short of his century. However, Eathan Bosch (20) and Viljoen (35 not out) added 44 runs for the sixth wicket to bring the visitors within site of victory.

But Imran Manack (10-0-43-1) trapped Bosch in front with the last ball of his spell to bring the crowd to the edge of their seats. However, Simelane smashed the last ball of the penultimate over from Aya Gqamane (4-0-40) straight back over his head for six, leaving Lehan Botha (4.1-0-26-0) to defend just three in the final over.

Earlier, Gqamane (69) and Manack (50 not out) had posted a record eighth-wicket stand for Boland, adding 96 runs from 75 balls to give the hosts a solid total after a disastrous start. Gqamane cracked seven fours and a six from 77 balls while Manack added five fours and two sixes from 39 balls.

Boland had to recover from 23 for four with umpire Lubabalo Gcuma cast as the villain by the home faithful. Gcuma was involved in four dubious decisions, with Blayde Capell (2), Gavin Kaplan (6) and Aviwe Mgijima (1) all being given out leg before with the ball seeming to miss leg stump while raising the finger to Grant Roelofsen (41), who failed to hit the ball.

Roelofsen had struck two fours and a six before missing a delivery from Subrayen (10-1-35-2), only to be given out caught behind by Viljoen.

Roelofsen and Fortuin had added 50 runs for the fifth wicket at nearly a run a ball, rescuing their side from a perilous position of 23 for four. Capell was adjudged leg before from the bowling of Subrayen with just five runs on the board.

Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj (10-1-36-2) then trapped Kaplan and Mgijima in front before Simelane (6-0-45-2) clean-bowled Botha for just a single. Von Berg (8) seemed to be settling in before playing a rash shot, slapping a ball from Tristan Luus (6-0-32-2) onto his middle stump.

Fortuin and Gqamane then combined with a seventh-wicket stand of 52 before a brilliant piece of fielding from Parsons at short mid-wicket ended the stand. Luus was again the bowler with Fortuin looking to drive the right-arm seamer up and over toward the mid-wicket fence, only for Parsons to snatch the ball, one-handed, out of the air.

Despite the loss of the Boland captain, Gqamane continued to build on the seventh-wicket momentum, this time with Manack as the pair posted the best stand of the innings, at better than a run-a-ball.

Fortuin, Roelofsen, Gqamane and Manack were key for the home side’s recovery from 23 for four and 90 for six as the last two wicket partnerships added 157, enabling Boland to set the Dolphins a target of 248 to lift the CSA One-Day Cup.

BOLAND: Blayde Capell, Grant Roelofsen, Gavin Kaplan, Aviwe Mgijima, Clyde Reeves-Fortuin (captain/wkt), Lehan Botha, Shaun von Berg, Aya Gqamane, Imraan Manack, Glenton Stuurman, Siyabonga Mahima

DOLPHINS: Tshepang Dithole, Joj-Jon Smuts, Bryce Parsons, Jason Smith, Khaya Zondo, Hanu Viljoen (wkt), Eathan Bosch, Andile Simelane, Keshav Maharaj, Prenelan Subrayen (captain), Tristan Luus