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DAY 4: Dolphins force draw in run-glut against Lions

cricket11 October 2025 13:28| © MWP
By:Patrick Compton
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Tshepo Dithole © Gallo Images

The Hollywoodbets Dolphins comfortably forced a draw on the final day of their CSA 4-Day Series match against the DP World Lions at a sunny Kingsmead on Saturday.

On the tamest of pitches, a run-stuffed draw was always going to be the favoured result and so it proved as the players shook hands at tea with the Dolphins on 317 for three in their second innings, an overall lead of 86.

The Dolphins began the day on 27 without loss, an overall deficit of 203. They began well with openers Tshepo Dithole and Romashan Pillay scoring freely to put on 174 for the opening wicket in 39.4 overs. The partnership was broken just before lunch when Pillay was bowled by a Delano Potgieter delivery that kept a little low although the batter was caught on the crease instead of playing forward. After a rough start to his new position as opener with two ducks in three innings, Pillay certainly proved his worth with an elegant 94 in 125 balls (12x4s, 3x6s).

There was more excitement for the visitors after lunch when Codi Yusuf, in an aggressive spell, sent back Dithole for 85 (126 balls, 13x4s, 1x6) and Bryce Parsons for a golden duck, both caught behind by wicketkeeper Connor Esterhuizen. And if Khaya Fakuda had been able to cling on to a chance at short midwicket offered by Slade van Staden in the same over, the door might have opened even wider for the visitors.

But the Dolphins’ brief wobble was quickly settled by Van Staden and Khaya Zondo who continued to play positively, combining for an unbroken century partnership that took the home side to 317 for three at tea, an overall lead of 86. Van Staden finished with 77 (86 balls, 15x4s) and Zondo 50 (72 balls, 8x4s, 1x6) as the players shook hands.

Throughout the match, there was the off-field sound of drilling as Kingsmead prepared for the installation of its new state-of-the-art LED floodlights for next year’s ICC World Cup; on-field, however, the dominant sound was the deep melodious crack of the ball hitting the middle of the bat. A total of 1325 runs were plundered for the loss of only 20 wickets on the flattest of pitches under cloudless skies. The Lions made a headline contribution, scoring a massive 619 for seven declared in their only innings – a franchise record at Kingsmead – that included a national seventh-wicket partnership record of 330 from player of the match Esterhuizen (203) and Delano Potgieter (169*) who both struck their highest first-class scores.

The other century was scored by Dithole, who nearly doubled up in the second innings. Nevertheless, the little left-hander has scored two hundreds and two half-centuries in his last four innings. Others to impress were Joshua Richards (72) and Dominic Hendricks (55) for the Lions and Hanu Viljoen (63) for the Dolphins.

The bowlers had far fewer fond memories with debutant left-arm spinner Tshepo Potsane showing some promise in the Dolphins’ first innings with figures of 3/72 although he had a reality check in the second knock with 0/102 in 19 overs. Dolphins’ skipper Keshav Maharaj, unsurprisingly, was the best spinner on view with figures of 3/105 in 49 overs.

Overall the bland pitch proved too much of a hurdle for a positive result with the Dolphins claiming 12.30 points (draw 6, batting points 4.3 and bowling points 2) while the Lions got 12.16 (draw 6, batting 4.16, bowling 2).

In a match of some predictability, an unusual occurrence was a Durban match in spring uninterrupted by either rain or bad light.

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