Valiant Vaughn pummels Lions

AT full strength, the Dolphins are a different animal. With their Proteas, their Kolpak and their experienced core all available, they have the look of a team that can do real damage.

They did just that yesterday, as they saw off the Lions by 19 runs, at a cheerful PMB Oval.

They were certainly given a lot to shout about by the Dolphins batters, surprisingly invited to bat first by Rassie van der Dussen.

The Dolphins pummelled 342 for six, thanks in chief to another supreme ton by Vaughn van Jaarsveld, who scored 124 off 102 balls. Dane Vilas chipped in with 81 off 94 balls, with the pair adding 205 for the second wicket. That glossed over the loss of Morne van Wyk to the very first ball of the day.

With such a massive platform set, the Dolphins might have had designs on a score of 360, with David Miller and Andile Phehlukwayo still to come.

They stuttered upon the loss of Van Jaarsveld and Vilas, but Miller (74 off 55 balls) and Robbie Frylinck (22 not out off 15 balls) finished with a flourish. The Lions needed to go some, and they flirted with a mighty heist while Reeza Hendricks (130 from 117 balls) and Van der Dussen (51 from 57 balls) were together. Hendricks, having been in the field all day, fell to a tired smear, having nearly holed out in the previous over.

The Lions, as is their fashion, kept swinging to the last, making 323/9, with Bjorn Fortuin unbeaten on 28 off just 13 balls.