The Dolphins have taken a stranglehold on the second day of the Supersport cricket match against the Warriors at Mercedes-Benz Park.
By close of play on Friday, the home team were struggling on 84 for three wickets, still 428 runs behind the Dolphins’ mammoth 512 for seven wickets declared.
Overnight centurion Kyle Smit took his score from 110 to 144 in a stroke-filled 199-ball innings with 26 fours and he was out in the 89th over to wicketkeeper Abongile Sodumo’s fourth catch of the innings — this time a juggled catch in front of first slip that fortunately he was able to hold.
The dismissal of Smit brought Lance Klusener to the crease and he and the overnight batsman, Duncan Brown, gave the Warriors’ bowlers no mercy as they piled on the runs, adding 82 in double-quick time.
Brown was eventually brilliantly caught by spinner Steven Pope off his own bowling for an excellent 82 (145 balls, 8×4, 1×6) and the handful of spectators were then treated to Klusener at his majestic best.
He attacked virtually every ball in savage fashion and in partnership with Saidi Mhlongo, the Dolphins number-nine batsman, he carefully farmed the bowling, even at times avoiding taking singles, but then hammering the ball hard enough for boundaries.
He was particularly severe on fast-bowlers Mario Olivier and Lyall Meyer and rushed to his 10th first-class century off 125 balls with 12 fours and three huge sixes.
He and Mhlongo added 86 unbeaten runs for the ninth wicket before Klusener humanely declared just before the tea interval.
Ironically, Mhlongo looked in no trouble as he scored a bold 19 not out.
The Warriors were in immediate trouble when Bevan Bennett was trapped in front by Nantie Hayward for a duck and the Warriors went in to tea at 15/1.
Carl Bradfield scored freely after the interval but was bowled by Ugasen Govender for 35, and then Arno Jacobs and Johan Botha were settling down nicely when low black clouds swept over the ground bringing play to an early end. — Sapa