Warriors go down to Erwee onslought

Man of the match Sarel Erwee struck an unbeaten 101 — his first List A hundred this season and fourth of his career — to guide the Hollywoodbets Dolphins to a seven-wicket victory with 24 balls to spare over the Warriors in their Momentum One-Day match at the City Oval in Pietermaritzburg.

The victory, their fifth in six matches, extends the Durbanbased franchise’s lead at the top of the log to nine points with four matches to play. Their next match is another home fixture, Durban, against the Multiply Titans on Thursday.

The dry pitch was slow, but good for batting throughout the match on an overcast day, although there was some occasional uneven bounce to keep the bowlers interested.

Chasing 238 for victory, the home team were cruising to victory after Grant Roelofsen and Erwee put on 137 for the first wicket in 26 overs, a competition record for this season. Both men played with great freedom as they flayed the Warriors’

attack.

The fluent Roelofsen was the first to go, leg before to a shooter from occasional offspinner Yaseen Vallie for 79 in 77 balls (eight fours, three sixes).

Roelofsen has had a remarkable first season in List A cricket. Since his debut, the wicket keeper-batsman has scored 21, 147*, 69, 56, 40 and now 79 for 412 runs at an average of 82.4.

Roelofsen’s departure signaled a break in the momentum of the Dolphins’ run chase, however, with first Marques Ackerman and then Senuran Muthusamy (nine in 28 balls) going cheaply as the Dolphins scored 34 runs in 11 overs.

But just as hometown nerves began to jangle, Erwee was joined by Khaya Zondo and the two men added an unbroken 71 in 62 balls for the fourth wicket, taking their team to an ultimately comfortable win. Erwee hit the winning runs as well as reaching his hundred when a lofted drive off seamer Onke Nyaku reached the extra cover fence. He struck 14 fours and a six in his innings. Zondo, who played the perfect back-up role, was unbeaten on a run-aball 27. Of the Warriors’ bowlers, left-arm paceman Stefan Tait was the star performer, bowling three maidens in his spell of 10 overs, conceding only 32 runs and taking the wicket of Ackerman. The Dolphins gave an uneven performance in the field, dropping three catches and guilty of a number of fumbles. This was counteracted by a superb running catch at long-on by Sibz Makhanya to get rid of the dangerous Marco Marais for just four.

Of the bowlers, Dolphins’ skipper Keshav Maharaj once again led the way with 2/28 in his 10 overs. The left-arm spinner, on the back of having been made man of the match for his 4/24 against the Cobras on Friday, showed excellent control and was perhaps unfortunate not to have reaped an even richer harvest of wickets. Pacemen Okuhle Cele and Daryn Dupavillon also claimed two wickets.