What a nail-biting T20 encounter we have witnessed here. Some amazing bowling by both the teams, and some amazing death-overs batting by the Cobras, but still they finished second in this hard-fought final. Ultimately, the better bowling unit succeeded. Here’s the match report.
Frylinck bowls the final over. Justin Kemp hits the first ball for four. Takes a single. Piedt is run out off the third ball. 9 to win off 3 balls. Aviwe Mgijima is the new man in. Kemp gets only a single off the fourth ball. 8 required off 2 now. Mgijime gets a single off the fifth. 7 off 1 now. If Kemp gets the last ball for a SIX, then we go for a superover. He hits that big, but the ball falls just short of the ropes for a four.
The Dolphins win by 2 runs. The Cobras fall just short. What a match.
OUT! D Piedt 5(5)
Abbott — the man with the lucky arm gets Engelbrecht. What an important wicket. The Dolphins’ best bowler does the job yet again, as Engelbrecht couldn’t clear the mid-off fielder. Dane Piedt is the new batsman. That over gave away just 7 runs and got a wicket for the Dolphins.
They need another 14 off 6 balls.
OUT! S Engelbrecht 56(39)
Frylinck comes on for his 3rd over. The field is being spread out for Engelbrecht. Engelbrecht survives an lbw decision against Frylinck. And then Kemp gets a top edge to go over the ropes for a six.
They need another 21 off 12 balls.
Kyle Abbott comes back for his third over now. And Stiaan Van Zyl loses his wicket to a suicide single. Robbie Frylinck gets the direct hit. Justin Kemp is the new man in. What an over from Abbott! Just 4 runs off it.
They require another 32 off 18 balls.
OUT! SV Zyl 46(41)
We are in for a nail-biting chase here. Shezi bowls his final over. And Engelbrecht reaches his fifty in style — with a four.
They need another 36 from 24 balls.
Engelbrecht will look to go after Maharaj in the latter’s final over here. And he gets the boundary off the big swing. The required run rate has been brought down significantly.
Smit comes back for his 3rd over. And Engelbrecht has had enough. Goes for the big one, and connects for two sixes off two balls. And then hits a four. 19 off that over.
Maharaj is bowling his third over now. Van Zyl and Englebrecht bring up the 50-run partnership. They are set now and will have to up the scoring rate now.
They need another 74 from 42 balls now at 7.4 runs an over.
Another spinner brought into the attack now. Khaya Zondo will roll a few here. The Cobras have finally scored a boundary in this over after 28 balls. The required run rate has shot over 10 runs an over.
Robbie Frylinck is back into the attack. The Dolphins have used five bowlers so far. All of them have done a reall good job so far. They have taken the wickets, and also kept the runs in check.
The Cobras require another 91 off 54 balls.
Daryn Smit continues. The Dolphins are going through their overs really quickly now. Spinners re doing a really good job.
We are halfway through the Cobras innings. And they still need another 99 from 60 balls at 9.9 runs per over.
Maharaj continues from the other end. The Cobras are having to be content with singles for the moment. The crowd has gone silent.
Another spinner brought on now — Daryn Smit with his leg breaks. The required run rate is creeping by the minute here. The Cobras need something to go their way.
Spinner Keshav Maharaj has been brought on now. Goes for 8 in his first over.
Shezi continues for his 3rd over on the trott. And gets another wicket — Cobras captain, Ontong has to go for a duck.
It’s the end of the powerplay. And the Cobras have been stung by the Dolphins so far.
OUT! J Ontong 0(3)
Kyle Abbott comes back into the attack and picks up the wicket of Vilas.
The Dolphins are keeping it really tight in the first few overs here, and have picked up both the openers as well.
OUT! D Vilas 1(7)
Shezi continues for his second over. And concedes just 1 run off it. Brilliant stuff from Shezi.
Robbie Frylinck is introduced into the attack, and gets the big big wicket of Jacques Kallis. Castles him with an inswinger. Dane Vilas is the new man in.
OUT! Jacques Kallis 5(8)
Mthokozisi Shezi bowls the second over. And gets the wicket of Levi with his second delivery.
Stiaan Van Zyl is the new man in. It’s a good start for the Dolphins.
OUT! R Levi 1(4)
Richard Levi and Jacques Kallis open the innings for the Cobras. Kyle Abbott starts for the Dolphins.
It looks like it will be Kallis’s day. Starts off with a glorious cover-drive for four.
The Cobras now embark on their chase of 147 to win the Ram Slam T20 Challenge 2014.
The Dolphins could manage only 146 for the loss of eight wickets in their quota of 20 overs. The Cobras’ bowlers maintained a stringent line and length to deny the likes of Morne Van Wyk and David Miller to free their arms. Jacques Kallis picked up four wickets for the Cobras, including the crucial one of Miller. All the action from the first innings has been summed up here in our first innings report.
What a last over from Jacques Kallis. Gets Miller off the first ball. Then gets Frylinck off the 3rd ball.
OUT! D Miller 25(19), R Frylinck 6(8)
OUT! D Miller 25(19)
Beeuran Hendricks has bowled a superb penultimate over here. He conceded just 2 off that over.
Kallis comes back into the attack and picks up two wickets. What an excellent death over from the veteran.
First he sends Zondo walking back to the pavillion. Then Jaarsveld.
OUT! K Zondo 16(13), VV Jaarsveld 0(1)
Hendricks comes back for his 3rd over, and is greeted by Zondo with a scoop over short fine-leg for FOUR. But Hendricks comes back well, mixing his pace, line and length. Just 8 off it.
And Miller-time may have begun. Miller sends the first ball of this over for a long six. And then Zondo mimics him for another six. Now that’s a big over — 16 off it.
Ontong now comes on for his third over. He has done a really good job so far. Just 4 runs off that over.
Five overs remain in the innings. Dolphins need some Miller time here.
Sybrand Engelbrecht into the attack now. Another spinner. And another tight over from the Cobras. And another WICKET. Khaya Zondo is the new man in.
Van Wyk lost his patience and went for the slog. Top edged it to Justin Kemp at long-off.
OUT! M Van Wyk 47(45)
Justin Ontong continues. And bowls a tidy over. Just 6 off it.
Justin Kemp is being bowled out here. It’s his 4th over, and has done a decent job of controlling the run flow.
If David Miller can come into his elements here, and string a partnership with the set batsman, Morne Van Wyk, Dolphins could be looking at another huge score.
Justin Ontong introduces himself, and gets the wicket of Dyran Smit. David big-hitting Miller is the new man in. Meanwhile Van Wyk is carrying along nicely from the other end.
OUT! D Smit 14(13)
Kemp continues for his 3rd over. These tight overs by Kemp and Piedt are frustating Van Wyk and Smit. And they are looking to improvise now.
Piedt continues for his third over. His slow pace is making it hard for the batsmen to hit trough the line. Another economic over for the Cobras.
Kemp continues from the other end. The Cobras have kept it really quiet in the last few overs. Just six off that over.
Piedt is back for his second over. And gets the wicket of Cody Chetty. He went for the expansive cover-drive, and edges it to the wicketkeeper.
Daryn Smit is the new batsman.
OUT! C Chetty 17(13)
Justin Kemp comes into the attack now. The Cobras have got some serious match-winners in their line-up.
And he too strays to the legs of the batsmen. Anything on the legs has been punished so far. End of powerplay. Good going for the Dolphins so far.
Lizaad Williams comes into the attack now. Cody Chetty survives, poked half-heartedly at a slower delivery, and almost holed out to mid-off.
The Cobras have bowled well so far, but often conceded that one bad boundary-ball every over.
Jacques Kallis into the attack now, and starts off with three dot balls. But ends with a SIX.
Beuran Hendricks continues with his second over. And gets the first wicket of Cameron Delport. Easy catch at mid-off for Justin Kemp. Cody Chetty is the new man in.
OUT! C Delport 4(5)
Dane Piedt to bowl the second over. Spin introduced early here. Good start for Piedt. Just 5 off that over.
Dolphins have got off to a flyer. They will hope to continue the momentum.
Dolphins have won the toss and decided to bat first.
Hello and welcome to the final of the Ram-Slam Twenty20 challenge 2014, which is to be played between the Cobras and the Dolphins. The Cobras were joined by the Dolphins in the final, after the Dolphins comfortably defeated the Titans in the semi-final. David Miller of the Dolphins will be looking to continue his blasting form from the semi-final.
The Cobras will be looking to continue their good form in the tournament.
