Proteas star Andile Phehlukwayo starred with bat and ball to secure a 22-run victory for the Dolphins over the Cape Cobras at Boland Park in Paarl on Friday night.
Phehlukwayo first scored 67 off 66 balls (6x4, 2x6), and then took 4/56 in 10 overs as the Dolphins scored 276/7 off 50 overs, and bowled out the Cobras for 254 in 49 overs.
While Phehlukwayo played a valuable knock late in the Dolphins innings, the foundation was laid by captain Khaya Zondo, who scored a gritty 93 off 157 balls.
Zondo hit just four boundaries in total (2x4, 2x6), but made good use of the big outfield at Boland Park by running hard between the wickets.
The Dolphins were in trouble at 43/3 after 11 overs, with Vaughan van Jaarsveld (5), Dane Vilas (5) and David Miller (7) all falling cheaply.
But Zondo joined Morné van Wyk in the middle, and they put on 28 before Van Wyk departed for 36.
That is when Phehlukwayo went into bat, and he combined with Zondo for a superb partnership of 103 for the fifth wicket.
When spinner George Linde made the breakthrough and dismissed Phehlukwayo for 67, Senuran Muthusamy scored a vital 30 off 22 balls to take the Dolphins towards the 250 mark.
Dane Paterson (3/40 in 10 overs) and Linde (2/50 in 10) were the leading Cobras bowlers, but the batsmen faced a tough task against a Dolphins attack including Proteas ODI stars Phehlukwayo and veteran spinner Imran Tahir.
93 from @Hollywoodbets Dolphins captain @KhayaZondo73 and four wickets for @andileluck19 saw the Dolphins maintain their perfect record in the @Momentum_za One Day Cup with a 22 run win over the WSB @CobrasCricket in Paarl on Friday.
Full report: https://t.co/IAWxEFU9ml #MODC🏆
— Dolphins Cricket (@DolphinsCricket) February 22, 2019
And so it proved, as the Cobras top-order never quite got going as they were reduced to 88/4 in the 23rd over.
Malan brothers Janneman (30) and Pieter (19) made reasonable starts, but they and Proteas Test cap Zubayr Hamza (20) couldn’t kick on.
With No 4 Jason Smith also getting out for just five, it was up to the classy Kyle Verreynne to try and rescue his team once more – having scored his maiden franchise List A hundred against the Knights on Tuesday.
Verreynne and Aviwe Mgijima produced a stand of 51 before the latter was out for 26 to Mthokozisi Shezi.
#COBvDOL| DOLPHINS WIN BY 22 RUNS
George Linde (63) and Kyle Verreynne's (52) heroics were not enough to get us over the line.
Credit to the Dolphins' bowlers though as they picked up wickets at regular intervals to restrict our batsmen. #StrengthInDiversity #MODC pic.twitter.com/fRjh5lPuug
— COBRAS CRICKET (@CobrasCricket) February 22, 2019
Verreynne also got things going with Linde, and reached his half-century before Tahir struck by claiming the Cobras wicket-keeper’s wicket for 51.
That was the last real hope for the home side, despite Linde’s 63 off 48 balls and captain Dane Piedt’s 27 off 24.
Apart from Phehlukwayo’s 4/56, all of Tahir, Shezi and Calvin Savage took two wickets each.