Mood lifts at the Dolphins as success arrives
THE dark clouds that hovered over the Gold Coast Dolphins for too long this season are starting to disperse as the club finds some heartening results.
The Dolphins yesterday completed a big weekend double when their second-graders won a semi-final of the one- day series, success which comes hot on the heels of a Saturday win in the Brisbane Premier Grade two-dayers.
At Norman Gray Oval in Brisbane on Saturday, the Dolphins found some batting backbone when they scored 8-295 in response to South Brisbane’s 262.
Yesterday at Bill Pippen Oval the Dolphins put together 9-285 in the one-day semi against Valley, who were sent packing for 104 in only 28.4 overs.
The weekend before the Dolphins also beat Valley in the final of the T20 competition and the mood is definitely buoyant at the club right now.
“This is something to build on for the rest of the season,” club coach Damian Wallis said. “Absolutely there have been some strides made and there were some good performances with the bat.”
At Norman Gray Oval opener Canning Mason (69), Liam Hope-Shackley (80) and Lewin Maladay (50) all stood up with good scores.
Then came further encouraging form at Bill Pippen Oval yesterday when Jack Hargreaves (37), Scott Palombo (66), Josh Nelson (41) and Hope-Shackley (49) provided the bulk of the big score for the seconds.
The Dolphins will now play the winner of the other semifinal between Sandgate Redcliffe and University in the one-day decider, which is most likely to be at Bill Pippen Oval on Sunday.