Dolphins need to convert positive attitude into positive results

THE Dolphins have kept an unchanged squad for their second Sunfoil Series match against the Warriors in East London tomorrow.

The Durban-based franchise offered their new captain, Daryn Smit, reasons to be encouraged despite their 53-run defeat at the hands of the Lions at the Wanderers on Sunday.

“It was a great game and we were there fighting for victory until the last ball,” he said at Kingsmead yesterday.

Among the good signs was that the Dolphins took 20 wickets, were poised to push for victory on a number of occasions and showed aggression and positivity throughout the three-and-a-half days of action.

“Neil McKenzie came into our dressing room for a beer after the match and remarked that he had been impressed by our in-your-face attitude, something he wasn’t used to.

“It’s something we want all the other franchises to know, that we’re going to be much more proactive than before,” Smit said.

Still, as the skipper knows, upbeat words mean little until the team records a win. With just five first-class victories under their belts in the last four seasons, as well as three bottom-placed positions on the log, the Dolphins need to shift a fat monkey off their backs.

Smit acknowledged this: “The positives are good, but ultimately they don’t get you trophies in the cabinet, only victories can do that.” There was some fine pace bowling from Kyle Abbott and Craig Alexander and half-centuries from Imraan Khan and Jonathan Vandiar (twice), but they didn’t receive much support from the middle order with Lions paceman Chris Morris grabbing a match-winning 8/44 in the Dolphins’ second innings.

“It looks as if we’ve had some big batting collapses, but Morris bowled really well and most of our wickets fell to good deliveries,” Smit said.

With the provincial team – under acting coach Rivash Gobind – playing their first match against Boland in Paarl this weekend, there will be every motivation for the likes of Chad Bowes, Ahmed Amla, Cameron Delport and Khaya Zondo to score big runs and apply pressure to get into the first team.