Maharaj’s seven sinks Warriors
PROTEAS spinner Keshav Maharaj took a career-best seven wickets for 76 runs as the Dolphins completed a stunning comeback to beat the Warriors by 55 runs in their Sunfoil Series cricket fixture at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth yesterday.
The left-arm spinner used all of his experience and guile to ensure the Dolphins remain in the race for the title with what was their first win of the campaign.
Maharaj’s effort beat his previous best first-class mark of seven for 89.
After being set a target of 286 for victory, the Warriors could only offer 230 in return and will wonder just how they managed to give up the advantage they had earlier.
The Warriors are by no means out of the running for silverware, but this was a game they let slip from a position of command on day two.
Having dismissed the Dolphins for a mere 145 on day one, the Warriors had all but wiped out the deficit with only four wickets down, and looked set for a decent first innings lead with two batsmen in Lesiba Ngoepe (42) and Yaseen Vallie (45) both entrenched at the crease.
Well, Ngoepe had a rush of blood and skied one and Vallie was trapped in front, attempting an ill-timed sweep shot.
And, almost with that, their best-laid plans collapsed like a cheap deckchair at a garage sale. They only managed a lead of 59 and the momentum swung back in favour of the visitors.
The Dolphins could sense a shift, and Vaughn van Jaarsveld made a fantastic second innings hundred with Sibonelo Makhanya, Sarel Erwee and Morne van Wyk making half-centuries as the Dolphins bounced back to set the Warriors their fourth innings target of 286.
This, despite off-spinner Simon Harmer picking up another six wickets for a remarkable match haul of 12 for 148.
The Eastern Cape franchise made a decent enough start and reached 142 for two – almost half way there – until Colin Ackermann was dismissed by Maharaj for 63 on day three.
The Warriors started yesterday needing 114 runs for victory with only four wickets in hand.
There was still hope with allrounders Clyde Fortuin and Harmer at the crease.
And even after Fortuin (15) became an early victim trapped in front by the other left-arm orthodox spinner Senuran Muthusamy, the home team may still have fancied an outside chance with Aya Gqmane next man in.
The diminutive Gqamane hammered 42 in the first innings and then struck three fours in his second innings 12 before becoming Maharaj’s sixth victim by being adjudged LBW.
Tladi Bokoka suffered the same fate off Maharaj’s next delivery. Harmer was left stranded on 36 not out, when last man Anrich Nortje was run out for three to complete the Warriors’ misery.