A disciplined bowling performance gave the Warriors their second Ram Slam win when they beat the Dolphins by one run in Port Elizabeth.
It was a real come-from-behind nailbiter after they had been held to a score of 153-8, which included a hat-trick by Robbie Frylinck
He ended the resistance of Christiaan Jonker (59) and cut off the tail, which put them in a good position to win their second match of the series; their first since round one, after which they endured four washed-out matches.
But Andrew Birch took two wickets in one over to undermine the Dolphins innings, and they were four down for 35 in the seventh over.
Morne van Wyk battled hard, but they lost momentum and wickets at regular intervals. The match was swinging the Dolphins way when Van Wyk and Sibonelo Makhanya (33 off 24) put on 60 for the fifth wicket, but Makhanya, and then Andile Phehlukwayo both went for injudicious big shots to halt the flow.
Van Wyk went on to 55, when he was run out, and with that the challenge was effectively over, although Frylinck and Maharaj took 15 runs off the last over.
Having elected to bat, the Warriors had also been on the back foot early when they lost three wickets for 25 runs before the powerplay was out, including Jon-Jon Smuts first ball to Keshav Maharaj’s spin, followed in quick order by Colin Ingram (2) and Yaseen Vallie (18).
Colin Ackermann and Jonker put on a stand of 88 in nine overs, when Mthokozisi Shezi, who had removed Ingram, bowled Ackermann for 37 off 34 balls. Jonker was left to take the fight to the Dolphins alone, for he received little support. He was eventually caught behind off Robbie Frylinck for 59 off 36 balls, with three fours and five sixes.
Sisanda Magala and Andrew Birch followed in successive balls
The tailenders added just nine runs either side of Frylinck’s hat-trick, leaving the Dolphins with a target of 154 at 7.69. As it turned out, it was more than enough
Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
