Dolphins look to maintain momentum against Eastern Cape Iinyathi

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins will look to build on a strong start to their YesPlay T20 Cup campaign when they take on Eastern Cape Iinyathi at Buffalo Park in East London on Friday.

The Dolphins head into the encounter off the back of successive bonus-point victories, having most recently dispatched the Limpopo Impalas last weekend. While the result was another positive step for the Durban-based side, head coach Quinton Friend knows there are still areas he feels they have to address as the competition progresses.

“It’s always good to get two bonus-point wins in a row. We’ve been good in those two encounters, although there are still areas for improvement,” Friend said.

“There are obviously some key games that lie ahead for us in the competition. It’s important that we focus on those and make sure we can find our way to playing our best game in all facets.”

The Dolphins were made to work harder than expected after reducing the Impalas to a modest total, slipping to 8/3 in their chase before Romashan Pillay and Hanu Viljoen steadied the innings with an important partnership.

Friend was particularly pleased with the character shown by the pair in a difficult situation.

“Eight for three is always a tricky situation to be in. It’s never nice to start your batting innings like that, even when you’re chasing 91,” he said.

“You’ve got to be better in the way that you start with the bat in games like that. But I think the importance of seeing how well Romashan and Hanu played cannot be understated.

“The character they showed and the immense calmness they displayed at 8/3 was unreal to watch. It just shows us that we’ve got some real quality within our team.”

The match also provided valuable time in the middle for players who have had limited opportunities during the campaign, something Friend believes will be important as the Dolphins navigate the remainder of the competition.

“These guys haven’t had much opportunity recently, so it was great that they managed to showcase what they’re able to do in T20 cricket,” Friend said. “It was a really, really good partnership from those two.”

There was also a standout bowling performance from Prenelan Subrayen, who claimed an impressive five wickets for just 11 runs from his four overs.

Friend believes Subrayen’s impact has been particularly significant given the responsibility he carries during the powerplay.

“Prenelan taking 5/11 in four overs is an exceptional effort. He’s been great, particularly because he’s bowling in the hot zones of the game in the PowerPlay and having to control that from a leadership point of view,” Friend said.

“From that perspective, he’s been outstanding in the way that he’s led things from the front.”

With the Dolphins now turning their attention to Eastern Cape Iinyathi, Friend is expecting his side to use the momentum from their opening matches while continuing to improve.

“I’m pretty happy with how things have been and where we find ourselves. It’s important that we continue to look at getting better all the time as we go along,” he said.

The Dolphins will travel to East London on Thursday ahead of Friday’s clash at Buffalo Park, with Friend and his squad set to enjoy a brief break following their lengthy trip from Limpopo.

“We’ve been on the road as well and it’s a long trip from Limpopo, so the guys have had a well-deserved day off,” Friend added.

“We’ve regrouped and then head off to the Eastern Cape, to East London, for Friday’s game.”

Hollywoodbets Dolphins YesPlay T20 Cup Squad

Bryce Parsons, Khaya Zondo, Grant Roelofsen, Jason Smith, Hanu Viljoen, Gomolemo Phiri, Prenelan Subrayen, Nqobani Mokoena, Tristan Luus, Okuhle Cele, Keith Dudgeon, Sean Gilson, Bayanda Majola, Romashan Pillay, Joshua Richards, Ntando Zuma.