Bosch helps Dolphins set competitive total in Gqeberha

A quick fire 45 runs off 19 balls from allrounder Eathan Bosch helped the Hollywoodbets Dolphins set good score of 163 against the Dafabet Warriors in their CSA T20 Challenge opener at a windy Dafabet St George’s Park Cricket Stadium in Gqeberha on Sunday afternoon.

Bosch hit five sixes for his innings and played a vital part propelling the Dolphins 162-9 after 20 overs.

Bosch’s four maximums came from the bowling of Beyers Swanepoel in the 18th over which went for 27 runs.

He came into crease with the Dolphins in big trouble at 95-5 after 13 overs after debutant CJ King and Siya Plaatjie ran through the visitors top order.

Dolphins openers Khaya Zondo and Bryce Parsons laid a strong foundation for visitors with bat after Warriors stand in captain Senuran Muthusamy won the toss and chose to bowl.

The pair reached 27 runs for the Dolphins in the first three overs before Parsons(7 off 11 balls) edged an back of a length ball from CJ King and was caught by Renaldo Meyer at short third man. With five balls till the end of the first powerplay Zondo who notched up four boundaries and a six for his quick 25 off 15 balls became Kings second victim of the day after he mistimed his scoop off a slow ball full toss and was caught behind by wicketkepper Jean du Plessis.

Dolphins finished the first power play 49-2 and looked at project score of 170 for the first innings.

But the run run rate dropped for the Dolphins from nine to under batters seven as new batters Slade van Staden and Marques Ackerman found it hard in the middle to manoeuvre the spin of Siya Simetu and medium pace of Siya Plaatjie.

Plaatjie bowled with great control and made use of the slow nature of the St Georges surface.

He accounted for both van Staden(15) and Ackerman(15) dismissals.

Van Staden couldn’t get his pull shot over deep square leg and caught Jordan Hermann while Ackerman mis-timed his shot to Muthusamy at deep mid wicket, leaving the Dolphins in deep trouble at 68/4 after nine overs.

Former Warriors captain JJ Smuts together with Tshepang Dithole steadied the Dolphins ship and avoided a quick middle order collapse with a run a ball 27 stand.

With the Dolphins five runs shot of 100 runs in the 13th over Smuts(11) edged Renaldo Meyer’s length ball to deep point, where King took an easy catch.

Dithole and Bosch helped the Dolphins pass the 100 run mark in 14th over but a few balls after Dithole(11) was caught at long off by Plaatjie after mistiming his drive from the bowling offspinner Muthusamy.

The Dolphins skipper Prenelan Subrayen stuck around shared a 24 run partnership for the seventh wicket with Bosch before his was caught behind by du Plessis from the bowling off Meyer for just ten runs, leaving the Dolphins 124-7 at the start of the 17th over.

From then it was the Bosch show, the 26-year old hit Swanepoel for two consecutive sixes in his first deliveries in the 18th over.

He would do the same with the fourth and fifth ball in the over.

But Swanepoel eventually got his men in the last ball of the over, caught by Meyer at cover after mistiming his drive.

Romashan Pillay(1) became King’s third victim of the day on debut in the last over caught at extra cover by Mogakane.

King was the picked of the Warriors bowlers with impressive figures of 3-18 while Meyer(2-26) and Plaatjie(2-24) played the supporting roles well.

Dafabet Warriors; Jordan Hermann, Andile Mogakane ,JP King, Jean du Plessis (wk) Senuran Muthusamy (C), Sinethemba Qeshile, Beyers Swanepoel, Christopher King, Siyabulela Plaatjie Siya Simetu, Renaldo Meyer

Hollywoodbets Dolphins: Brad Porteous, Prenelan Subrayen (c), Banele Cele, Slade Van Staden, Bryce Parsons, Nqobani Mokoena, Jon-Jon Smuts, Tshepang Dithole, Eathan Bosch, Khaya Zondo, Romashan Pillay, Okuhle Cele, Marques Ackerman.