Patience pays off as Warriors blow Dolphins away
THE DOLPHINS played appalling cricket on the final morning, as they capitulated to a 93-run loss to the Warriors in their 4-Day Franchise Series clash at Kingsmead yesterday.
When they arrived on the final morning, the Dolphins needed just 199 more runs to win, and their biggest concern might have been the weather suddenly changing on them.
Since April 2016, which was their last four-day victory at Kingsmead, they have been hampered significantly by the weather.
Not this week, however. When Eathan Bosch was bowled by Jon-Jon Smuts, around midday, the Dolphins’ shortcomings were exposed in brilliant sunshine. They lacked composure, character and collective common sense, as they caved in under the mounting pressure.
The Warriors knew that they were in the money when Dane Vilas sliced a catch to mid-off, and exposed the lower order.
Sisanda Magala had been operating at medium-pace when the Dolphins made 335 but, as he sniffed an opening, he suddenly dropped the handbrake and gazumped to medium-fast.
Magala blew away Proteas Robbie Frylinck and Keshav Maharaj off consecutive balls that rushed through, but the writing was on the wall by then.
Smuts himself had chanced his arm and found four wickets, some due to truly atrocious shot-selection from a home team that must take a long, hard look at themselves.
Few could speak of not being culpable in their team’s suicide. There were cavalier strokes at the worst of times. There was a lack of courage, even, as they simply showed no appetite for the scrap that was in front of them.
The Warriors simply waited, waited – even at 89/2 – and waited, before rumbling the final eight wickets for just 34 runs.
“We know all about the pressure of the fourth innings, so we just had to stay patient,” Smuts pointed out.