DAY 2: Fourteen wickets fall as spinners take charge in Durban

Fourteen wickets fell on a dramatic second day of the CSA 4-Day Series match between the Hollywoodbets Dolphins and WSB Western Province at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.

Resuming on 43 without loss in reply to Province’s first innings of 212, the Dolphins were undone by former Westville Boys’ High School left-arm spinner, Kyle Simmonds, who claimed 6-60 in 22.3 overs, his 10th first-class five-wicket haul.

He was largely responsible for the Dolphins subsiding from 79 for one to 196 all out in 65.3 overs.

But when Province batted again with a lead of 16, they found batting no easier.

Offspinner Prenelan Subrayen came on in the fifth over and grabbed 3-20 in 12 overs while loanee Sean Whitehead claimed 1-12 in six overs as Western Province struggled to 65 for four wickets at the premature close (bad light), an overall lead of 81.

Judging by the batters’ defensive agonies in the last session, the Kingsmead pitch is beginning to offer the spin bowlers some serious assistance with the ball turning sharply on occasion as well as there being increasingly uneven bounce.

If Province are able to set the Dolphins 150-200 tomorrow, it could be a tough assignment.

Province were indebted to opener Jonathan Bird in their second innings, with the left-hander striking an unbeaten 40 in 74 balls, including six fours and a beautifully struck on-drive for six off Subrayen.

For most of the time, however, it was Subrayen who was calling the shots.

Province opener Edward Moore got him going when he had an ugly mow at the offspinner, getting a leading edge and being caught at backward point by Andile Simelane.

Mohammad Vallie had his off-stump knocked back by Subrayen while Daniel Smith – Province's batting star in the first innings with 92 – was controversially taken at slip – the umpire taking long seconds to make his decision.

Finally Valentine Kitime was leg before to left-arm spinner Sean Whitehead’s arm ball.

SIMMONDS SHINES

Earlier, Simmonds played havoc with the Dolphins’ batters after openers Sarel Erwee and Tshepang Dithole had added 66 for the first wicket.

Dithole was trapped leg before by Mihlali Mpongwana for 19 about 40 minutes into play after the pair had resumed on 43 without loss.

The Dolphins’ two most experienced batters, Erwee and Marques Ackerman, were now together and further progress to a large extent depended on them.

Ackerman was just settling into his innings when he appeared to tweak a hamstring completing a second run.

After treatment he decided to continue but was unable to run freely. Quite why he didn’t go off for treatment and give himself the option of coming back later was unclear.

The decision to bat on clearly influenced his attitude to batting and he was quickly dismissed, slogging left-arm spinner Simmonds to deep midwicket where Kitime took a good low catch.

Kitime would have been happy with the grab as earlier he had grassed a difficult chance at backward point off Erwee.

Erwee, now faced a major responsibility of batting through, but he also fell victim to Simmonds who got extra bounce to have him caught bat-pad at the wicket for 48 (99 balls, 8x4s).

The slide was now on. Slade van Staden (25) played a few pleasant strokes but looked vulnerable, finally edging Beuran Hendricks to Mihlali Mpongwana in the slips and then Sean Whitehead left a delivery from Hendricks that ripped out his leg stump.

After lunch, taken at 125-5, Jason Smith was the only senior batter remaining. He soon lost his junior partner, Romashan Pillay, who failed to offer a shot to Simmonds’s arm ball which shattered his stumps.

Andile Simelane offered a few bold strokes, striking two sixes and a four in his 24, as did Prenelan Subrayen in his 21 (3x4s, 1x6) but the Dolphins’ innings was in irreversible decline.

Smith himself had batted carefully for 22 off 61 balls before he launched a flamboyant drive at a wide delivery from paceman Mthiwekhaya Nabe, edging to Mpongwana in the slips.

Mpongwana claimed three catches in the position during the innings, all smartly taken.

HOLLYWOODBETS DOLPHINS: Sarel Erwee (capt), Tshepang Dithole (wk), Marques AckermSlade van Staden, Jason Smith, Sean Whitehead, Romashan Pillay, Andile Simelane, Prenelan Subrayen, Daryn Dupavillon, Okuhle Cele

WSB WESTERN PROVINCE: Edward Moore, Jonathan Bird, Valentine Kitime, Daniel Smith (wk), Mihlali Mpongwana, George Linde, Yaseen Vallie, Kyle Simmonds, Beuran Hendricks (capt), Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Wesley Bedja