Dolphins to go big or go home in pursuit

GOLD Coast coach Damian Wallis has called on his batsmen to go big when they set about chasing a huge Wests total on Saturday.

The Dolphins rallied at Graceville to peg Wests back from 0-94 to 5-137 before a familiar lower-order resistance carried their opponents to 8-320 overnight.

Wests have the option to declare or continue batting; either way Wallis hopes to see his team’s chase underpinned by at least one substantial score.

“Something that we have spoken about is someone has to go on with those starts and someone has to go on and get a big hundred,” he said.

“If we can get off to a good start we have definitely got the batsmen and the strokemakers to chase down that score. We have got the depth in batting.”

Their cause will be helped by the return of Max Bryant from playing for the Cricket Australia XI in the JLT Cup. It is unclear who will make way for the big-hitting opener.

Matt Kuhnemann had the pick of the Dolphins’ bowling figures with 3-77 off 30 overs.

Wallis conceded 320 was above par.

“We thought the wicket looked like it had a bit of grass and was a bit soft so with the overhead conditions we would have liked to knock them over for something just over 200 maybe,” he said.

“But yeah, the first session and last session really killed us.”