The Dolphins head down the coast today, when they visit the Warriors in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge double-header at St George’s Park.
The men from Durban still sit in third place on the log, despite not completing four out of their six fixtures in the competition. On Friday night, at a wet and wild Kingsmead, they were somewhat fortunate to walk away with two points against a resurgent Cape Cobras.
JP Duminy’s men had notched a stout 172-4 despite a slow middle period, with Duminy himself pounding 85 not out.
The Proteas left-hander was very harsh on some unusually wayward death bowling by the Dolphins, and that is one discipline that the Durbanites have to rectify against the Warriors.
While last season’s finalists have not quite hit the same heights this term, they still possess considerable firepower in their batting ranks. Former international Colin Ingram served up a timely reminder of his wonderful range of skills against the Lions last weekend, and no target is safe with him still at the crease.
Ingram has the ability to take pace and spin apart, and the Dolphins will be loath to be quite as charitable as they were to Duminy on Friday night.
The forecast for today is clear in Port Elizabeth, and that may convince coach Grant Morgan to again go with his pair of international spinners.
Imran Tahir and Keshav Maharaj were tidy enough against the Cobras, and they have a big job to do to contain the Warriors’ middle-order.
The Warriors were blown away by the Titans’ hurricane on Friday night, and they will want to bounce back to maintain an interest in the semi-finals.
In front of their bubbly home crowd, the men from the Bay tend to lift themselves.
Given the fact that they made a slow start to the competition, they now have to haul in the likes of the Dolphins, as the gap may soon become insurmountable.
The Dolphins, who have become the tournament draw specialists, will just be keen for a full match. Their lack of action is not an excuse they have wanted to pull out, but several of their key bowlers looked short of sharpness on Friday, which will be a concern.
They haven’t played much of late, which means they wouldn’t have been used to the pressure that Duminy exerted with his swishing blade on Friday night before the storm.
Today they will meet another left-hander with a licence to thrill.
They better be ready.