Streetwise Dolphins edge Titans in Durban

It was a patient start for the Dolphins who moved to 36 without loss from the first five overs of their innings as Khaya Zondo and Grant Roelofsen were conservative on a low pitch.

The sixth over of the innings turned the tide in the favour of the visitors as David Wiese picked up three wickets in one over.

Firstly, he bowled Khaya Zondo for 21 off 16 balls, he then followed that up with the LBW of Jon-Jon Smuts for a duck off two balls and then he finished the over with the wicket of Grant Roelofsen, also LBW, for 13.

At the end of the powerplay the Dolphins were 42 for the loss of three wickets.

Jason Smith and Marques Ackerman steadied things slightly for the Dolphins before Ackerman was superbly run-out by Rivaldo Moonsamy from the square-leg boundary. The direct hit saw Ackerman back to the change room for nine in his fiftieth T20 match.

It was Brad Porteous who joined Smith and the pair took the Dolphins to the sixteenth over before the former fell for a run-a-ball 21.

He was bowled by Wiese, giving the seamer his fourth wicket. Smith continued to be the glue the Dolphins needed in tricky batting conditions.

The middle order star welcomed Andile Phehlukwayo to the wicket and they took the Dolphins to the penultimate over. In the nineteenth over Phehlukwayo became Wiese's fifth wicket, bowled for nine. The Dolphins were 113 for six when they lost the left-hander.

Smith and Eathan Bosch took the Dolphins to 127 for six with the latter making 14 off eight balls while Smith finished on 28 not out off 37 deliveries.

The Dolphins struck early when Steve Stolk was bowled by Prenelan Subrayen in the third over. The home side had their second wicket the next ball when Rivaldo Moonsamy was stumped by Roelofsen for a first ball duck to reduce the Titans to 16 for two.

The bowling from the Dolphins was disciplined as they kept the Titans batters in check and the pressure told in the seventh over.

Luhan-Dre Pretorius was the third wicket to fall, bowled by Phehlukwayo for 15.

The Dolphins had their fourth in the next over when Jon-Jon Smuts dismissed Sibz Makhanya LBW for 17. At the end of eight over the Titans were 44 for four.

At the halfway stage of their chase the Titans were 51 for four, 13 runs adrift of where the Dolphins were at the same stage.

Dayaan Galiem and Neil Brand then came together to try and gain the momentum back and they were going along well for five overs and the took the side from 44 for four to 74 for five.

Brand was the fifth wicket to fall, caught in the deep by Okuhle Cele for 15 off the bowling of Smuts.

At the loss of that wicket the heavens opened, and play was suspended for a rain delay with the Titans needing 54 runs to win off 37 balls.

After the rain delay the Titans had a revised total of 104 from 16 overs. That meant that they needed 29 from 13 deliveries.

Ottniel Baartman's penultimate over went for nine which left the Titans needing 21 off the last over to win. Baartman also had Galiem caught at deep midwicket by Brad Porteous in that over.

Cele bowled the final over and Corbin Bosch kept the Titans right in the contest hitting two sixes which meant that the visitors needed five off the final ball. They could only manage one which saw the Dolphins home to a three run win.

The Dolphins are back in action on Sunday when they face Western Province in Cape Town.