The Lions ruffled Lance Klusener’s feathers and he came back to haunt the visitors on the final day of the four-day Supersport Series cricket match between the Highveld Lions and the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins at the Maritzburg Oval. The Dolphins won by five wickets.
Earlier the Lions had savaged 33 runs off just three overs — most of the runs struck off Klusener — who later returned to punish the Lions’ bowlers with his own brand of batting mayhem as he struck a rapid-fire 33 off 10 balls with eight fours. Seven of those boundaries were in one over off Garnett Kruger to take the Dolphins to their wining target of 299.
It was a quick end to a match that over four days had seen 119 overs lost to bad weather as the Dolphins scored 210 and 299 for five in reply to the 334 and 74 for seven declared by the Lions.
It earned the Dolphins 16 points to match those earned by joint Supersport defending champions the Titans against the Eagles.
The declaration gamble by skipper Neil McKenzie came after Klusener had been hammered for 30 runs off his two opening overs on the final morning, and he felt he had enough in his armoury to keep the Dolphins at bay.
Vaughan van Jaarsveld, the man of the match, was out for 68 to go with his 158 in the first innings.
It was 299 required off 91 overs in bright sunshine — very much in contrast to the first three days — and the Dolphins took up the challenge in style.
Doug Watson (17) and Imraan Khan put on 49 for the first wicket. Then Khan and Hashim Amla seized control by adding 114 for the second wicket, and that was followed by a fourth-wicket stand of 77 between Ahmed Amla (37 not out) and Kyle Smit (47) before that final mad bash by Klusener as 44 more runs were plundered off the Lions attack of just 16 balls.
The Dolphins now return to their home base at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead next week to face the Warriors.
Cobras resist
In East London, eight bowlers were used by the Warriors in an attempt to break some stubborn partnerships by the Cape Cobras on the fourth and final day of the Supersport Series match played at Buffalo Park — a day on which only two wickets fell.
Starting the day at 37 for one wicket, the Cobras advanced to 271 for three wickets when the game ended with a declaration by the Cobras with no hope of a result.
The Warriors’ bowlers toiled throughout a windy and cloudy day on a lifeless pitch.
Beji Hector (68), J-P Duminy (68 not out) and Ashwell Prince (59 not out) all scored half-centuries but the day’s play drifted nowhere throughout as neither side were able to grab any advantage.
The bulk of the bowling was done by off-spinner Johan Botha, who picked up two of the three wickets to fall, and he was aggressive throughout, always looking for wickets.
There were a number of vociferous appeals for lbw, especially by Botha, but both umpires were unmoved, except when Andrew Puttick, who advanced his score from four to 45, was in front to Botha well before the lunch break.
Hector was surprisingly clean-bowled by Zander de Bruyn as he looked in no trouble at all.
HD Ackerman was named as man of the match for his solid 195 in the Warriors’ innings.
The Warriors finished with 7,24 points, two more than the Cobras. — Sapa