DAY 2: Dragons fight back as Dolphins limp to tea

The Renault North West Dragons produced an impressive fightback in the post lunch session on day two, reducing the Hollywoodbets Dolphins to 135/5 in their first innings, in response to the visitors 311 all out in their CSA 4-Day series match at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead on Friday.

The Dolphins had cleaned up the Dragons tail in the morning session, and then gotten off to a good start reaching lunch on 69/1.

But the early afternoon session belonged completely to the Dragons as they picked up four wickets while only letting the hosts score 66 runs.

Bryce Parsons (35) fell soon after the resumption, caught by Raynard van Tonder off the bowling of Ruan de Swardt, to end a solid 64-run second wicket stand with Sarel Erwee (55), leaving them on 74/2.

Erwee continued on to a good half century and added 23 to the score with Jason Smith (8) before both fell in quick succession, Smith bowled by Caleb Seleka and Erwee caught by Ronin Hermann off the bowling of Bamanye Xenxe, as they slipped to 105/4.

Khaya Zondo (14) and Hanu Viljoen (17no) tried to rally to tea, but just before the break Zondo was bowled by Odirile Modimokoane, leaving Viljoen and Romashan Pillay, who is yet to score, at the crease.

In the morning the Dragons resumed their first innings on 276/7, and De Swardt (75) and Seleka (16) extended their eighth wicket stand to 32-runs.

Okuhle Cele then made the breakthrough, bowling Seleka, leading to the final three wickets falling for five runs, as Prenelan Subrayen bowled Modimokoane for a nine ball duck, and De Swardt was caught by Daryn Dupavillon off Cele to end the innings.

Subrayen was the pick of the bowlers, with solid figures of 4/91, while Seleka, 3/49, and Dupavillon, 2/67, backed him up well.

The Dolphins innings then got off to a rocky start as Tshepang Dithole (2) edged Bamanye Xenxe to keeper Janneman Malan at the start of the fourth over, with the score 10/1.

But opener Erwee and Bryce Parsons settled in with a strong unbeaten 59-run partnership to take the hosts comfortably to lunch.

HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Tshepang Dithole Sarel Erwee, Khaya Zondo, Bryce Parsons, Jason Smith, Romashan Pillay, Hanu Viljoen (wk), Prenelan Subrayen, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Okuhle Cele, Darryn Dupavillon

RENAULT NORTH WEST DRAGONS: Matthew Kleinveldt, Janneman Malan (wk), Lesiba Ngoepe, Raynard van Tonder, Wihan Lubbe (capt), Ruan de Swardt, Rubin Hermann, Bamanye Xenxe, Caleb Seleka, Odirile Modimokoane, Lutendo Tsanwani