Dolphins tentative despite strong RAMSLAM start
Following their stirring opening round win in the 2017 RAM SLAM T20 Challenge, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins will reassess this week and coach Grant Morgan wants his side to take the competition as it comes.
The Dolphins dominated with the bat in their opening fixture of the tournament against the WSB Cape Cobras with opener Sarel Erwee continuing the brilliant form he showed in the Africa T20 Cup when he helped guide Hollywoodbets KZN Inland to their maiden title.
His 103 not out along with the 67 not out from captain Khaya Zondo helped the men from Durban notch up 231/2, a record for a day T20 game at SuperSport Park Centurion.
Unfortunately for both sides the DLS method had to decide the outcome with the Dolphins winning by 15 runs after a lengthy weather delay.
Coach Morgan was happy with how his team shaped up with the likes of Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Imran Tahir still on the side lines.
“We made some fearless selections, and given the situation our new caps Eathan (Bosch) and Smanga (Nhlebela) realised it was going to be tough when they had to bowl,” Morgan stressed.
"The Cobras knew the weather was coming and they were in trouble so they had to pull the trigger.
"Everyone bowls expensive overs in their careers and it's great to have options available to us going forward in the competition."
Encouragingly for the Dolphins both Van Jaarsveld and Tahir are back in light training and should be available for the Dolphins later in the competition.
The Dolphins have become known for playing entertaining white ball cricket and although Morgan wants this to continue, he is hoping that his side can be more clinical this season.
"We made some great scores last year but we lacked the consistency in the T20 campaign.
"We would win one and then lose the next which didn't give us any momentum.
"The encouraging thing for me is that I didn't have to let the players know this after Sunday's game, they addressed it at the team meeting on Tuesday," Morgan added.
It is a jam-packed weekend of RAM SLAM T20 Challenge action for the Hollywoodbets Dolphins as they take on the VKB Knights at Saraha Stadium Kingsmead on Friday, 17 November and then travel the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom to play the bizhub Highveld Lions on Sunday, 19 November.