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DAY 1: Smith stars for WP, but Dolphins enjoy good start

cricket30 October 2024 15:05| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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Daniel Smith © Gallo Images

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins bowled out last year’s finalists, WSB Western Province, for 212 and then replied with 43 without loss – a deficit of 169 – on the first day of their opening CSA 4-Day Domestic Series match at Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.

It was a good start to the Dolphins’ red-ball campaign after they had finished bottom of the log in the T20 competition.

Replying to Province’s total, openers Sarel Erwee (25) and Tshepang Dithole (15) saw off the visitors’ pace attack of Beuran Hendricks and Wesley Bedja in the 10 overs available before the inevitable call of bad light, although Dithole was fortunate to survive a chance in the slips off Bedja before he had got off the mark.

Earlier, the Dolphins dismissed Western Province for their moderate total in 72.5 overs after the visitors had won the toss and chosen to bat first on a sunny day in Durban with a brisk south-westerly wind blowing across the ground.

Province didn’t make full use of their opportunity with only Daniel Smith really impressing.

The elegant left-hander struck 17 fours in his 92 in 139 balls, featuring in a useful fourth-wicket partnership of 80 with George Linde (34) after the Dolphins had claimed the first four wickets for 69 in a morning session when their pace bowling quartet extracted swing through the air and lift and pace off the wicket.

Edward Moore was the first to go in the fifth over when he edged a sharply rising delivery from Daryn Dupavillon to wicketkeeper Dithole.

That was quickly followed by the departure of Yaseen Vallie, bowled through the gate by Okuhle Cele with his middle-stump being spectacularly ripped out.

Opener Jonathan Bird and Smith then looked to settle in, adding 31 for the fourth wicket, before Bird, undecided whether to play or leave the ball, played on to Andile Simelane.

Valentine Kitime (3) was the final wicket to fall in the session, driving at a wide delivery from Romashan Pillay and edging behind.

It was the debut first-class scalp for the 19-year-old from Westville Boys High School.

WICKETS TUMBLE AFTER LUNCH 

After lunch, Smith and George Linde took their partnership to 80 before Smith, who had just pulled Pillay’s previous delivery for four, was bowled round his legs trying to guide the ball to fine leg.

The left-hander walked off looking particularly disappointed with himself at what was an admittedly soft dismissal.

Soon afterwards, Sean Whitehead, on loan for this match by KZN Inland, bowled all-rounder Mihlali Mpongwana for a single, the tall man reaching right forward but unable to lay bat on ball.

The burly 27-year-old left-arm spinner’s main claim to fame is his rare feat of taking all 10 Easterns’ wickets for 36 playing for South Western Districts at Oudtshoorn in November 2021.

It remains the second best analysis in South African first-class cricket.

After Mpongwana’s dismissal, Western Province lost their last four wickets for 54 runs.

It was Subrayen, wicketless in his early spell, who claimed Linde’s scalp for 34 in 110 balls and the off-spinner went on to clean up the tail, claiming 3-49 off 19.5 overs.

Pillay took 2-35 while Dupavillon recorded 2-39 off 15 overs.

Perhaps the most impressive of the pace bowlers, however, was Simelane whose 1-15 came off 10 overs of disciplined fast-medium bowling.

The all-rounder was unlucky not to claim the wicket of Linde with the left-hander being dropped at gully on 17.

HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Sarel Erwee (capt), Tshepang Dithole (wk), Marques AckermSlade van Staden, Jason Smith, Sean Whitehead, Romashan Pillay, Andile Simelane, Prenelan Subrayen, Daryn Dupavillon, Okuhle Cele

WSB WESTERN PROVINCE: Edward Moore, Jonathan Bird, Valentine Kitime, Daniel Smith (wk), Mihlali Mpongwana, George Linde, Yaseen Vallie, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks (capt), Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Wesley Bedja

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