Dolphins’ Morne breaks hearts back in Bloem

ON a night of tension in the RAM Slam T20 Challenge, the Dolphins looked to their warhorses - and the old dogs didn’t blink under the bright Friday night lights as they won by six wickets in a rain-affected match.

Morne van Wyk came back “home” to Bloemfontein, and broke hearts, as his 70 not out was the cornerstone of the Dolphins’ triumph in a match reduced to 17 overs apiece by rain. Van Wyk got help from a brutal Dane Vilas and a calm Robbie Frylinck, as the Durban franchise kept their title hopes alive.

Having won the toss and elected to field, the Dolphins served up their worst bowling performance of the season, in arguably their most important fixture to date. There were wides, a “five wides”, and massive fluctuation in length. The fielding was also lackadaisical, as they allowed too many easy runs for the home side.

Andile Phehlukwayo travelled for a mighty six off his very first ball, as Theunis de Bruyn deposited him onto the grandstand roof. Perhaps that was a sign of things to come, because Ryan McLaren plundered 24 runs off the Proteas’ all- rounder’s third and last over.

That was part of a three- over heist from the Knights, when they bludgeoned 54 runs to strong-arm their way back into the match.

That assault wiped away the sincere shift put in by Imran Tahir, whose spell of two for 23 looked to have put the Durbanites in charge.

Tahir’s victims were undone by subtle changes of pace; the hitherto untroubled De Bruyn left groping and missing a straight one, while Rudi Second was flummoxed by a classic leg-break.

Alas, Ryan McLaren played a terrific hand (48 not out from 24 balls), while David Miller (46 not out) again stood tall for his adopted franchise, to undo Tahir’s web.

The end result was 168/4. In contrast to their visitors, the Knights bowled with intensity. Tearaway Marchant de Lange bowled like the wind, and got rid of Sarel Erwee with a combination of pace and in-your-face “gees”.

The Dolphins needed a hero, as they started to drown in the swell of the mounting run-rate.

Van Wyk, back on familiar turf, took it upon himself, smearing and smiting to the fence whenever he could. Vilas, then blazed a brazen 51 off 22 balls, to get the Dolphins right back in the hunt.