DURBAN - While Dolphins coach Grant Morgan was thrilled with Friday night’s 79-run win over the Warriors, he insists that there is still room for improvement in the Momentum One-Day Cup.
“Of course I’m chuffed. It’s (Port Elizabeth) not been an easy place for us to go to, and I was really pleased to get a win with a bonus point,” he explained.
The Dolphins rolled the home side for just 171, having notched 250 with the bat.
“We again didn’t get a hundred out of our top six, and it is something that we discussed,” Morgan said.
“We are getting starts, but some of our dismissals were too soft. "The good thing, I suppose, is that everyone is still chipping in,” he reasoned.
Cody Chetty’s contribution was key on Friday, as his measured 53 guided the visitors away from tricky waters at 141/6.
The bowling effort was, as Morgan emphasised, a collective effort, though Imran Tahir’s tournament-best figures of 5/21 were the centrepiece.
“Immy was magnificent for us, a real champion effort. But, you know, it was a real effort from all our bowlers.
“Robbie Frylinck’s figures were none for 35, but he had four nicks go either side of the keeper in his second spell.
"Batting is easier to figure from a scorecard, but you really need to see a bowler before taking figures on paper for granted,” Morgan pointed out.
He also mentioned the efforts of left-arm seamer Attie Maposa, who continues to improve and impress at this level, as well as those of the rejuvenated Calvin Savage.
Morgan explained that his side had taken stick and stock after the RamSlam T20 Challenge, and they are very keen to use lessons from there going forward.
“With us at the moment, we seem to win a lot of games that we shouldn’t win. And then we lose games we should be closing.
“Ideally, we want to get into a situation where we can start winning games even when we’re not playing at our best. We sometimes have to win ugly, and that I’d what we are working towards.”
The Dolphins face a busy week again, as they trek to Paarl to play the Cobras on Wednesday afternoon, before returning to Kingsmead on Friday, to host the Knights.
“I certainly feel that we are closing in on a few sides in this 50-over competition, instead of any of them pulling away from us,” an encouraged Morgan added.
Another productive set of results will put Morgan and his side in handy position for the play-offs.
They have a practice on Monday at Kingsmead, before jetting off to the Cape on Tuesday.