The Dolphins completed yet another disappointing summer of cricket when they lost to the Knights in Momentum One Day Cup.
The Dolphins had begun their season with a new head coach, Grant Morgan, after the departure of Lance Klusener. Then named Khaya Zondo as skipper, near the end of the season, after Morne van Wyk stood down.
Despite the changes, the Durban franchise looked more than capable of getting silverware.
From the Sunfoil Series, to the One Day Cup, the Dolphins found themselves in good positions where they could challenge for the title.
But things that happened before the start of the season played a major role in how the Dolphins played.
They lost a number of players, which included the likes of David Miller, Kyle Abbott, Jonathan Vandiar, Ryan McLaren and Matthew Pillans.
Yet the Dolphins only replaced the loss of these players with fast bowler, Mthokozisi Shezi, who is yet to impress with the ball.
After losing so many players and making only one signing, Morgan produced a miracle with the Dolphins. But now that the Dolphins’ season is over, they should sign more players.
A step in the right direction is the acquisition of Proteas wicketkeeper Dane Vilas from the Cobras.
Losing a player such as Abbott hit the Dolphins hard and they were unable to find a player who took wickets as consistently as he did.
And that was one of the areas in which the Dolphins struggled, taking wickets. Getting 20 wickets in the longer format of the game and getting 10 in the shorter formats proved to be a tough task for them.
During the purest format of the game, the Sunfoil Series, the Dolphins campaign went from exciting to disappointing after spending a few weeks at the top of the table.
After battling it out with the Titans and Highveld Lions, last minute draws and losses saw them lose a title to the Knights.
In the shorter format of the game, perhaps the arrival of Kevin Pietersen for the T20 Challenge was one of the season’s highlights for the Dolphins.
However, things did not turn out the way they did in the previous season.
Their results made it hard to believe that this was the same team who had won the Ram Slam T20 Challenge three years ago.
When One Day Cup fever hit, the Dolphins were once again in a battle with the Titans for the No1 spot.
By the end of the competition which they dominated throughout the season, the Dolphins had lost out on a spot in the play-offs and the final, thanks to brilliant performances by the Titans and the Knights in Durban.
Once again, Vaughn van Jaarsveld was exceptional with the bat. He scored 799 runs and a double century in the Sunfoil Series and 444 runs in the Momentum One Day Cup.
Although Robbie Frylinck is getting on a bit, he performed better than most of the younger bowlers.
The Dolphins may not have ticked all the boxes, especially after they appeared to lose their nerve when they were in commanding positions, but one cannot give up on them.
There is potential in the side, particularly with players such as Andile Phehlukwayo, Imran Tahir and Keshav Maharaj thriving at international level.