Lance Klusener, the bowler, and Shaun Pollock, the batsman, could not prevent the Highveld Lions from sneaking home by one run in their Standard Bank Pro20 cricket match against the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins at the Sahara Stadium in Kingsmead on Wednesday.
Their fine efforts were scuppered thanks to a late fighting rearguard action by batters Neil McKenzie (35) and Martinhus Otto (30 not out) for the visitors.
After the Dolphins had made 164 for four after wining the toss and batting first, the Lions came back from the dead to reply with 165 for six, after needing 10 runs off the last over bowled by Russel Symcox.
When Ashraf Mall fell for nine, it seemed all over for the Lions. But a powerfully struck six over mid-wicket by Otto off his fourth ball turned the match on its head and Eugene Moelon scampered the required winning two runs off the last ball of the match.
Earlier proof that there is no substitute for experience came in the early form of Dolphins skipper Hashim Amla, all-rounder Shaun Pollock, spinner Adam Bacher and Lance Klusener.
Amla, finding his lost form after a brief sorties in the national squad, opened the Dolphins innings after he had won the toss and elected to bat along with the young Kyle Smit.
With Amla (56) striking eight fours from 39 deliveries, the score raced to 84 before the partnership was broken, and on paper it looked as though the Dolphins were heading for a massive score.
That set the stage for a real cameo innings from Pollock, as he hammered 44 runs at two runs to the ball — pounding three sixes and four fours in his 27-minute stay.
Bacher then struck twice more (after capturing Amla’s wicket) as he had Pollock taken on the mid-on boundary by former Natalian Ashraf Mall, who has switched to the Lions franchise for next season, and Smit (27).
The Dolphins’ batting pace dropped after that as Ahmed Amla took 26 balls for his 24 not out and Klusener, batting down the order and far too late at the crease, got six off eight as the KwaZulu-Natal outfit got to 164 for four in their turn at bat.
But Klusener was to show his worth when he opened the bowling and his first two overs only cost a miserly three runs. Likewise, Russel Symcox only had 11 taken off his opening overs. The balance of power was restored to the Lions when fast-bowler Ugasen Govender got taken apart by Bacher and Mathew Harris as they lashed him for 19 in his first over. His second cost 10 more.
Then a brilliant run out of Harris (19) by Hashim Amla again put a brake on matters.
Slick fielding kept the crowd of more than 4 000 happy as Vaughan van Jaarsveld and Neil McKenzie consolidated and then accelerated the rate, which showed nearly 11 to the over needed off seven overs.
It became more tough when Van Jaarsveld (22) was stumped off Ahmed Amla. Then Khan had Juan le Roux top-edge a high catch to wicketkeeper Duncan Brown for his second dismissal and the game seemed to be beyond the Lions, especially when Klusener returned to pin down the batting again.
Klusener bowled Neil McKenzie for 35 with a pearler after he hit three fours and a six in facing 31 balls. But Otto had other ideas and he finished with three fours and two sixes off 14 balls faced to win the game for the Lions. — Sapa