Johannesburg - An all-round performance from the Hollywoodbets Dolphins saw them beat the North West Dragons by 30 runs in their second clash of the CSA T20 Challenge at the JB Marks Oval on Wednesday night.
Following a disappointing defeat in their competition opener at the beginning of the week, the Dolphins put in a strong performance with both bat and ball to get their competition on track.
After being put in to bat in the evening fixture, the Dolphins lost Monday's star Grant Roelofsen for nine before a promising partnership between Jon-Jon Smuts and Bryce Parsons took the Dolphins past the 50 mark.
Both players got past twenty before Smuts fell with the total on 56 in the seventh over. Parsons was the third wicket for the Dolphins to fall when he was caught for 21, and Marques Ackerman was run out for six to see the Dolphins 70/4 in the ninth over.
Khaya Zondo and Jason Smith then came together for the Dolphins' most significant partnership of their innings. The pair added a crucial 73 runs for the fifth wicket as Smith made 34 off 27 balls before he fell in the final over.
Zondo played a crucial role as the anchor with an innings-defining 42 off 40 balls while young all-rounder Andile Simelane hit two sixes on his way to 13 off four balls at the end of the innings.
The Dolphins finished their innings on 163/5 in their 20 overs.
In their chase, North West got to 30 before Heino Khun fell to Thando Ntini, before Ottniel Baartman bowled Lesego Senokwane for nine in the sixth over.
With the total on 50, Parsons picked up a crucial wicket when he had Wesley Marshall caught in the deep for 25 in the eighth over of the chase.
The match was in the balance through the middle overs as Smuts trapped Grant Mokoena LBW for 16 before a partnership threatened between Delano Potgieter and Senuran Muthusamy.
Eathan Bosch returned to the attack and bagged the big wicket of Potgieter with the total on 91 in the 15th over, well caught by Ackerman at deep mid-wicket.
It was a double wicket over for Bosch when he had Khanya Cotani caught behind for a duck.
Captain Prenelan Subrayen then picked up the crucial wicket of Muthusamy in the next over, bowled off the last ball of his spell, leaving the Dragons 97/7 with four overs left.
Bosch then added a good catch to his evening's work when he caught Duane Jansen at long on off the bowling of Baartman in the eighteenth over.
In the twentieth over Baartman bowled Caleb Seleka but the Dolphins couldn't prevent the Dragons from denying them the bonus point win, however, a strong bowling performance saw the Dolphins win by 30 runs.
The Dolphins face the GBets Rocks on Saturday in their third match of the competition.
IOL Sport
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