Smith and Dupavillon guide Dolphins into T20 semi-finals

Smith and Dupavillon lead Dolphins to T20 semis

JOHANNESBURG, October 20 (ANA) – A career-best bowling performance from Daryn Dupavillon and a match-winning half century from Jason Smith guided the Dolphins to a six wicket win over the Warriors in their CSA T20 Knock Out quarterfinal, in Durban, on Wednesday.

Dupavillon gave the Dolphins the best possible start to the match after losing the toss when he bagged the wickets of both Warriors openers in the first over with Wiaan Lubbe trapped in front for a duck and Matthew Breetzke following, bowled for a first-ball duck.

The speedster had his tail up and managed to pick up the crucial wicket of Jon-Jon Smuts in his second over to see the Warriors reeling at 8/3 in the third over.

Ruan de Swart jumped in on the action when he picked up the wicket of Tristan Stubbs in the sixth over. The Warriors ended the powerplay on 37/4.

De Swart and Thando Ntini combined to take three wickets and concede just 42 runs between them in their eight overs.

Smith got in on the act to bag one wicket from his two overs, before Dupavillon came back to take his fourth and finish with four for eighteen in his four overs.

In reply the Dolphins battled through the powerplay as they lost four wickets for 33 runs and were in trouble when Smith joined the steadfast Keegan Petersen at the crease.

The pair than rebuilt the Dolphins innings and eventually got them into a winning position before taking them over the line with four balls to spare; combining for an unbeaten partnership worth 98.

Smith’s second career T20 half century was the difference as he hit three fours and three sixes in his knock of 60 not out but Petersen’s effort was just as crucial.

The SA Test batsman finished on 38 not out off 43 balls to provide the perfect foil for Smith who scored freely.

Captain of the Dolphins Marques Ackerman was full of praise for the bowling unit that gave the batsmen that target to chase and the batsmen that got them over the line.

“Look, our bowlers obviously set up that victory for us,” Ackerman said. “The wicket wasn’t easy, it was quite two-paced but at the end of the day credit needs to go to Keegan Petersen and Jason Smith for those innings under immense pressure in a quarter-final.

“For them to take us all the way with a 98 run partnership was unreal!”

Tactically Ackerman believes that the side made the right decisions which set them up for the win eventually despite the hiccups with the bat.

“We knew the wicket was quick and they only had three seamers. So when they bowled out early on in the innings we knew we could capitalise on their spinners.

“We lost two wickets too many between overs five and ten but credit needs to go to the guys who got us over the line.”

The Dolphins will face the Titans in the semi-final on Thursday. – African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman