Warriors in striking form at Kingsmead

ANDREW Birch picked up three wickets before Jon-Jon Smuts raced to a 50 as the Warriors completed a seven-wicket bonus-point win over the Hollywoodbets Dolphins at the Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban yesterday.

Seamer Birch was superb with the new ball as his opening spell produced figures of 3-2-8-1 before he ended with 3/16 off four overs as the Dolphins were restricted to just 115/9.

Opener Smuts then raced to his 50 off just 38 balls before departing a ball later for 54 with five fours and three sixes as the Warriors reached 118/3 off just 15.5 overs.

The Warriors made a lightning start to their run chase as they scored 17 runs off the first over of their innings, bowled by seamer Robbie Frylinck, with Smuts hammering two sixes and a four.

But seamer Andile Phehlukwayo (2/3) struck in his first over when he squared up Somila Seyibokwe (3) with the batsman being caught by keeper Morne van Wyk.

Phehlukwayo struck in his next over when he had Colin Ingram (4) caught at mid-on as the Warriors wobbled to 26/2.

Unfortunately, Phehlukwayo had to leave the field after his second over when he was hit amidships in his follow-through after Smuts smashed a delivery back at the bowler.

Phehlukwayo did return to the field after a recovery period but Smuts and Colin Ackermann shared in a 78-run third-wicket stand to all but secure the win before Smuts was dismissed by legspinner Imran Tahir with just 12 runs needed to win. Ackermann ended not out on 41 off 39 deliveries. The Dolphins, asked to bat first, never recovered from a poor start, on a very overcast day and on a slow pitch, with all the Warriors’ bowlers contributing as six different men picked up at least one wicket.

Debutant seamer Solo Nqweni picked up 2/14 off three overs. – SuperSport.com