Clinical Dolphins cruise to bonus point CSA T20 Challenge win over Rocks

Grant Roelofsen of the Dolphins plays a shot during a CSA T20 Challenge match

Grant Roelofsen of the Dolphins plays a shot during a CSA T20 Challenge match. Photo: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Dolphins

Published Mar 15, 2024

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Clinical bowling and a hundred run opening stand from the Dolphins saw them cruise to a nine wicket bonus point win over the Rocks in Paarl on Friday night.

Grant Roelofsen finished with a commanding 71 not out off 45 deliveries, and along with the Dolphins seamers and Prenelan Subrayen helped their side to a second consecutive win in the CSA T20 Challenge.

It was a strong start with the ball from the Dolphins who picked up the wickets of the Malan brothers fairly early in the innings.

Okuhle Cele continued his good form with the ball when he bowled Pieter Malan for nine and then six runs later the Dolphins picked up Janneman Malan.

Dolphins seamer Ottniel Baartman picked up his first wicket when Bryce Parsons caught Malan for eight and the Rocks were 19 for two inside four overs.

There was a patient partnership from the Rocks as Keegan Petersen and Clyde Fortuin put together 23 off 25 balls before the Dolphins had their third wicket.

Petersen was caught by Andile Simelane off the bowling of Dolphins captain Prenelan Subrayen as the Dolphins continued to apply the pressure on the Rocks batters.

Fortuin was holding things together for the home side with 21 off 27 balls but he was caught in the deep by Cele and Subrayen had his second wicket as the Dolphins bowlers kept the Rocks batters under wraps.

Wickets continued to fall regularly as the Rocks went from 62 for four to 97 for six. Patient bowling from the Dolphins saw the wickets of Aviwe Mgijima, bowled by Daryn Dupavillon, and Ferisco Adams, caught by Subrayen off the bowling of Cele.

The Rocks lost their sixth wicket at the end of the seventeenth over as the overs whittled away for the home side.

Michael Copeland, who was the Rocks top scorer, made 35 off 30 balls but became the seventh wicket to fall with the score on 109 with two overs to go.

Copeland became Baartman’s second wicket when Parsons took a second catch.

The Dolphins picked up an eighth wicket when Hardus Viljoen was well caught by Grant Roelofsen off the bowling of Dupavillon.

Shaun von Berg finished with 13 not out and Imran Manack was seven not out as the Rocks finished on 125 for eight in their 20 overs.

The start from the Dolphins was a strong one as they made 30 without losing a wicket in the first four overs.

The Dolphins finished the powerplay on 51 without loss as Parsons and Roelofsen put the visiting side on the front foot.

It was clinical batting from the openers who took their partnership past 100 in the twelfth over as Roelofsen went to his first fifth of the competition.

As the Dolphins chased the bonus point Parsons holed out to Pieter Malan in the deep for 47 with the score on 108.

Roelofsen and Marques Ackerman then took the Dolphins home in the fifteenth over.

The win takes the Dolphins to fourth on the table after four matches.

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins return home to face the North West Dragons in their next CSA T20 Challenge match on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.

Scorecard

Rocks 125/8 (M Copeland 35 O Baartman 2/26 O Cele 2/27 D Dupavillon 2/30 P Subrayen 2/19)

Dolphins 129/1 (G Roelofsen 71* B Parson 47)

Dolphins win by nine wickets

Dolphins