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Oil Dolphins come right after shaky start in Kimberley
December 17, 2009 Edition 2
THE Dolphins recovered well after losing an important toss and being put in to bat on a green, lively pitch on the first day of their SuperSport Series match against the Eagles at the De Beers Diamond Oval in Kimberley yesterday.
After facing a crisis at lunch, which they took at a fragile 95/5, the visitors finally managed to total 236.
The Eagles replied with 50/2 at the close.
The Dolphins' recovery started with a partnership of 58 in 145 balls for the sixth wicket between David Miller (49) and Bradley Barnes (8), and then Andrew Hall (36) and Johan Louw (21) shared a valuable 55-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Hall wasn't afraid to take on the Diamond Eagles' bowlers, striking seven fours in his innings before his Northants teammate, Johan van der Wath, dismissed him.
It was Van der Wath (3/70) who caused an immediate setback for the Dolphins when he trapped Imraan Khan leg before with the second ball of the day.
He managed to get a lot of movement off the seam in his early spell. Daryn Smit (41), who moved up to three in the order, then shared a 50-run partnership with Loots Bosman (19) for the second wicket before Bosman was trapped leg before by former teammate Victor Mpitsang.
Proteas all-rounder Ryan McLaren (2/61) then dismissed Ahmed Amla (16) and Smit shortly before lunch, which the Dolphins took in some disarray.
Mpitsang (2/27) picked up his second victim when he trapped Barnes leg before.
Left-arm spinner Con de Lange (1/5) and pacemen Ryan Bailey (1/26) and Gino Vries (1/41) also picked up wickets for the home side. The Dolphins' pacemen struck twice before the close with Quinton Friend grabbing the early wickets of Reeza Hendricks (8) and Rilee Rossouw.
Hendricks was caught in the slips by Ahmed Amla and Rossouw was trapped leg before for 11.
With the sun drying the pitch and turning the grass from green to white, the Eagles will hope to pile on the runs today on what should be a more docile surface that should suit the batsmen. - Sapa
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