Cobras win thrilling Semis after Jayasuriya falters in Super Over

The Nashua Cape Cobras beat the Nashua Dolphins on the Super Over after both teams scored 148 in their allotted 20 overs in their Standard Bank Pro20 semifinal third leg at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Wednesday.

With the match tied it meant that each team would face six balls and they could make use of three batsmen.

The Dolphins chose Sanath Jayasuriya and Johann Louw to open the batting during their extra over which was bowled by Charl Langeveldt. Langeveldt bowled Jayasuriya with his first ball and then conceded two runs and a wide before having the new man, Daryn Smit, caught at deep square-leg by JP Duminy.

It meant that the Cobras needed four runs to win from one over which was bowled by Alfonso Thomas. Graeme Smith was run-out, after the first ball of the over, by Jayasuriya after he backed-up too far.

Herschelle Gibbs then took two runs off the second ball of the over before hitting a boundary through the covers to secure victory for the Cobras.

The Dolphins had scored 148 for eight after beginning their last over, bowled by Vernon Philander, needing 17 runs to win which came down to the home-side needing six to tie off the last ball which Johann Louw duly delivered by smiting a mighty blow over long-on to end the Dolphins innings not out on 48 off 26 balls with four fours and two sixes.

The Dolphins’ run chase began poorly as they slumped to 11 for three inside four overs with fast bowlers Langeveldt and Rory Kleinveldt sharing the wickets to fall.

A fourth-wicket partnership between Hashim Amla (37) and Jon Kent (30) of 65 off 48 balls then revived the home fans' hopes.

However, in the 13th over, both men lost their wickets in consecutive balls from left-arm spinner Claude Henderson with Amla being caught at deep mid-wicket by Duminy while Kent was stumped. Henderson ended with figures of three for 23.

Louw and Smit then put on 39 runs off four overs for the seventh wicket to leave the Dolphins needing 23 runs off the last two overs of their innings.

Up stepped Langeveldt once again as he bowled Smit and Quinton Friend to claim four for 22 off four overs.

Earlier, a fifty from Duminy helped the Cobras to 148 for four.

After the Cobras had won the toss and elected to bat they slipped to five for one in their second over before Duminy played the anchor-role for his team to perfection as he ended not out on 53 off 46 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Duminy combined with Justin Ontong to put on 73 runs for the third wicket before Ontong was bowled by seamer Thomas for 44 off 32 balls.

Ontong began his knock slowly, with one run coming off the first six balls that he faced, but he was soon into his stride striking two fours and three sixes as he scored his next 43 runs off 26 balls.

Graeme Smith and Duminy had provided a good platform for the Cobras as they put on 50 runs off 44 balls for the second wicket before leg-spinner Daryn Smit bowled Smith. The Cobras’ skipper departed for 34 off 31 balls.

Thomas was the best Dolphins bowler on the night, finishing with figures of two for 14 off three overs.

Cobras wary of Sanath | Semifinals - Standard Bank Pro20 Series

Both the Dolphins and the Cobras have been starved of a championship success in recent seasons and they’ll be desperate to change that course of events by starting off with a win in tonight’s Pro20 semifinal third leg in Durban.

The “hit and giggle” version of the game has lived up to its reputation as a lottery and the most recent results in Port Elizabeth and Durban have clearly underlined that notion.

The two semifinal legs of the Dolphins and Cobras match-ups have been won by decisive margins and perhaps the hugely unpredictable nature of Pro20 cricket could result in a far more evenly contested third leg as teams make one last push for a final berth and its massive financial offerings, given the advent of the Twenty20 Champions League, which gets under way in India, in September.

The must-win nature of the game is such that the Cobras will be backing themselves to beat the Dolphins as they have emerged victorious in very tight games this season.

Cobras coach Shukri Conrad feels his team thrives in the “pressure situations” and he’s confident there are any number of players in his ranks who can play a match-winning role.

If indeed the result is going to hinge on the role of one match-winning performance, most pundits would rather be looking at the Dolphins’ opening batsman, Sanath Jayasuriya.

He is arguably the world’s most combustible batsmen, even at the ripe old age of 39 years.

The Sri Lankan legend, who has broken more one-day batting records than any other cricketer, revolutionised one-day international cricket with his explosive batting at the 1996 Cricket World Cup.

He failed to score in the second leg in Durban and he’s too good to fail again and if he does produce a decisive knock today, he’ll be repaying the Dolphins his R1-million Pro20 appearance fee with a single innings.

Jayasuriya gave Pro20 fans a taste of his explosive batting when he posted 41 runs off 24 balls, including six boundaries, three of which cleared the ropes at Newlands, last Friday.

That contribution, as well as his two wickets courtesy of his left-arm spin, wasn’t seen in its full context because his team-mate, Yusuf Abdullah (3/13) ripped out the heart of the Cobras batting, even before their chase got under way. He claimed his first two wickets before the Cobras had even managed to score one run on home turf.

Even in defeat the Cobras drew one consolation from their Friday the 13th defeat and it was their most lethal batter, Herschelle Gibbs, would not fail again.

And how right they, the Cobras, were. The “Hurricane Herschelle” innings clubbed the Dolphins attack for 92 runs off 57 balls.

There must be a similar feeling in the Dolphins camp ahead of today’s clash since Jayasuriya failed with both bat and ball (nought and 0/29 off 3 overs) in the last outing.

Jayasuriya would no doubt have noted that the most telling all-rounder Pro20 contribution yet this season was recorded in Port Elizabeth on Monday night where the Warriors’ Robin Peterson returned 49 not out and 3/24 with bat and ball respectively.

‘Sunny’s’ side is up | Jayasuriya on fire as Dolphins win at Newlands

He's back: Jayasuriya on fire

THEY made it interesting, but in the end, the KZN Dolphins pulled off a critical first-leg victory in the semi-finals of the Pro20 Series at Newlands last night.

Defending 163, after a Sanath Jayasuriya blitz at the start of their innings, the Dolphins almost choked as a defiant Richard Levi toiled desperately to haul the star-studded Cobras from the doldrums.

And it was Jayasuriya himself who almost turned from hero to zero, as his third over, and the 18th of the innings, disappeared for 16 runs, leaving the Cobras needing a not so daunting 25 off 12 balls for the unlikeliest of wins.

Step up Johan Louw, who bowled a nerveless six balls, snaring the wicket of Claude Henderson with one of his leg-cutters, but also conceding a mere two runs.

Twenty-three off six balls was always going to be too much for the Cobras, and they eventually lost by 14 runs.

The night had started brilliantly for the Dolphins, as Ahmed Amla won the toss and the opening pair of Jayasuriya and silver fox HD Ackerman scorched their way to 75 without loss by the eighth over.

Jayasuriya, back from international duty, signalled his intentions by smashing Rory Kleinveldt for three successive sixes.

When he fell for 41, however, the innings began to stutter and stumble, before almost grinding to a halt.

Ackerman played sensibly for his 62, but what looked like a possible 200 became “only” 162.

The Cobras, with Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibs and the mercurial JP Duminy in tow, looked set to cruise home.

But Yusuf Abdulla had other ideas. The swing merchant toppled Henry Davids leg-stump, before trapping Gibbs plumb in front with a beautiful inswinger.

At zero for two, the Cobras were in danger of folding dramatically. And when Abdulla had Duminy snaffled smartly by Daryn Smit, the game looked done.

Smith, from a Proteas perspective, looked in decent touch after a five-week layoff, but he holed out to Smit’s leg spin for 32.

It was all left to Levi and the tail, and they ensured the Newlands faithful stayed to the last with a spirited fightback.



But it was the Dolphins’ night, with Abdulla shining again with the ball. and “Sunny” Jayasuriya back with a bang.

They may yet seal their place in Friday’s final tomorrow, in the second leg at Kingsmead.

Scoreboard
Dolphins innings
HD Ackerman c Ontong b Kleinveldt 62
S Jayasuriya b Ontong 41
HM Amla c and b Henderson 2
G Rowley c Gibbs b Duminy 22
J Louw c Smith b Langeveldt 8
A Amla not out 17
J Kent not out 7
Extras (1lb, 2w) 3
Total (5 wickets in 20 overs) 162
Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-82, 3-119, 4-136, 5-141
Bowling: Langeveldt 4-0-20-1, Henderson 4-0-21-1 (1w), Kleinveldt 4-0-49-1, Telemachus 4-0-43-0 (1w), Ontong 3-0-21-1, Duminy 1-0-7-1.
Cobras innings
H Davids b Abdulla 0
G Smith c Thomas b Smit 32
H Gibbs lbw b Abdulla 0
J Duminy c Smit b Abdulla 17
A Puttick run out 2
J Ontong b Jayasuriya 9
R Levi not out 48
R Kleinveldt b Jayasuriya 0
R Telemachus c & b Louw 11
C Henderson b Louw 15
C Langeveldt not out 6
Extras (1b, 2lb, 4w ) 7
Total (9 wickets in 20 overs) 148
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-35, 4-46, 5-63, 6-64, 7-64, 8-95, 9-139
Bowling: Abdulla 4-0-13-3, Friend 4-0-35-0, Louw 4-0-21-2, Amla 1-0-8-0, Smit 3-0-22-1 (1w), Jayasuriya 3-0-32-2 (1w), Thomas 1-0-14-0 (1w).
Result: Dolphins won by 14 runs.
Master Blaster Bowler: Yusuf Abdulla
Master Blaster Batsman: HD Ackerman.

Graeme Smith knows Dolphin danger Sanath Jayasuriya

If there is one player in the Cape Cobras team who knows the danger Dolphins opener Sanath Jayasuriya poses in Friday night's Pro20 first-leg semi-final at Newlands, then it's captain Graeme Smith.

Smith has spent years devising strategies on how to dismiss the Sri Lankan master blaster, but has also had first-hand experience of the carnage Jayasuriya can cause when he is in the mood.

The veteran left-hander was certainly in the mood four years ago at Taunton when he and Smith shared a 197-run first-wicket partnership for English county side Somerset against the then all-conquering Australians. Jayasuriya struck 101 off 79 balls and Smith 108 off 74 balls and the Aussies were humbled by four wickets.

"Geez, that was an amazing game," said Smith. "The Aussies got over 340 and we both got hundreds. Sanath obviously doesn't talk much between overs, so he was just standing on the one side and me on the other, and we were just flaying away.

"It was great to be able to just watch and enjoy and not having to worry about trying to get him out. He played some amazing shots that day. There's no doubt Sanath is a match-winner. If he gets off to a flyer, he just takes the pressure off all the remaining batsmen. He is also a more than useful bowler."

Jayasuriya only joined the Dolphins camp on Thursday, having represented Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 international against India as late as Wednesday. Smith, who had the entire week to familiarise himself with the Cobras' set-up, believes Jayasuriya's late arrival might just play into the Cobras' hands.

TEAMS FOR NEWLANDS:

Cobras: Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Henry Davids, Justin Ontong, Richard Levi, Andrew Puttick (w/k), Roger Telemachus, Rory Kleinveldt, Claude Henderson, Charl Langeveldt.

Dolphins (from): Sanath Jayasuriya, Hashim Amla, HD Ackerman, Grant Rowley, Ahmed Amla (capt), Jon Kent, Pierre de Bruyn, Daryn Smit (w/k), Johann Louw, Alfonso Thomas, Quinton Friend, Yusuf Abdulla, Imraan Khan.

Dolphins looking to cause an upset in Bloem despite Jayasuriya's absence

The Nashua Dolphins go into their MTN Domestic Championship semifinal against the Gestetner Diamond Eagles at the Outsurance Oval in Bloemfontein on Sunday confident of causing an upset against the side that finished at the top of the log.

After qualifying by finishing fourth on the log, the Dolphins tackle the more fancied Eagles who finished 13 points ahead of them after the round-robin stages, without the services of Sanath Jayasuriya, who has been recalled to the Sri Lankan team for a tri-series in Dhaka and Johann Louw, who pulled a hamstring two weeks ago.

"Johann will only be available again if we reach the final. Sanath is on international duty for Sri Lanka and is highly unlikely to make the final," said Yashin Ebrahim, the Dolphins coach.

Despite these setbacks, the Dolphins are quietly confident of beating the Eagles with the squad they have. They have also introduced 21-year-old Cameron Delport to the team as a replacement for Jayasuriya. The former Westville Old Boy is a hard-hitting left-handed batsman who made his senior debut against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth last week.

"Both the experienced players will be missed. However, we have enough experience and depth in the team to compete. The boys are confident, focused and positive ahead of the big game. Barring any last-minute injuries, Cameron will open with Imraan Khan. I think he is good enough to perform at this level and gives us an extra option as a medium-pace bowler as well," Ebrahim said.

The Dolphins were well-beaten in their two pool matches against the Eagles, losing by five wickets with 11 overs to spare in Durban and by six wickets with an over to spare in Kimberley, but this does not concern Ebrahim.

"Losing both the league games to the Eagles counts for nothing. This is a one-off and anything can happen," he said.

The winner of Sunday's semifinal will play the Nashua Titans, who thrashed the Western Cape Cobras by nine wickets on Friday night.

Odds against Dolphins win after Sanath leaves for Dhaka

THE KZN Dolphins will meet the table-topping Diamond Eagles in the second semi-final of the MTN Domestic Championships tomorrow.

The winner will go through to Friday’s final against the winners of last night’s encounter at SuperSport Centurion, which saw the star studded Titans entertaining the Cobras.

That the Dolphins have regrouped in time to get into the semis is no small feat, in a season that was descending into mediocrity.

The form of Imraan Khan at the top of the order has been one of the few consistencies of a season that may yet be re-ignited by a winning end to the 45 over competition.

Khan has outshone even the mercurial Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya, who is currently in Dhaka.

The other significant plus for the KZN franchise has been captain Ahmed Amla’s steady form with the bat. He and Khan hold the key for a Dolphins line-up, which has considerably deep batting, with talented all-rounder Morne van Vuuren having batted as low as nine.

What the Dolphins have to improve on mostly is their bowling, particularly in the powerplays. This is perhaps where Jayasuriya’s golden arm will be sorely missed, as his wily darters worked well at the death of several innings.

The Dolphins have suffered severely in this regard, with the visit to Potchefstroom to face the Lions earlier this season a brutal example.

Jean Symes churned out a classy 146 while Vaughn van Jaarsveld bludgeoned a 56- ball century.

With the experienced Johann Louw also missing, the likes of Yusuf Abdullah, Jon Kent and Ugasen Govender will be under pressure to foil a formidable Eagles batting card, which includes the hard-hitting Loots Bosman, Morne van Wyk and the vastly improved Dean Elgar.

The Eagles spin duo of Con de Lange and Thandi Tshabalala will also pose a threat, and the form of stalwart HD Ackermann in the middle overs will be crucial.

The Eagles have already beaten Amla’s men twice this season, the first a five-wicket cruise at Kingsmead.

All in all, with home-ground advantage, a better team on paper and two victories over their opponents this season, the odds are heavily stacked towards an Eagles triumph.

But as Dolphins convenor of selectors Jay Naidoo explained this week, form counts for very little when it comes to the business end of a knockout tournament.

Dolphins confident of making semis | MTN Chmapionship

Sanath Jayasuriya will be hoping to lead the Nashua Dolphins to their first win in the MTN Domestic Championship this weekend.

The Sri Lankan star, who has failed to reach double figures (six, one, zero) so far this season, will be looking to end his run of poor form with an impressive display against the Nashua Cape Cobras on Sunday as the Dolphins return to action after an eighteen-day break, due to the postponement of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20.

"He's worked hard and is looking good in the nets. He has also just returned from a break to Sri Lanka and has been training there as well. Look, we know the type of player he is and I'm quite sure he will bounce back. Three of our next four games are day games so that will help him as well," Jay Naidoo, Manager of Playing Affairs at the Dolphins told SuperCricket.

After losing their opening three games, the Dolphins find themselves in sixth spot on the log and will need to get back to winning ways if they intend making the semifinals.

"We are still quite confident of making the semis. If you look at the log, one win will bring us level with the Warriors and the Lions.

"Only the Lions have beaten us comprehensively so far this season. The other games against the Eagles and Titans were close and could have gone our way. The players know what they need to do and I'm sure they will turn the corner," he added.

A squad of 12 have been named for the next two MTN Domestic Championship matches.

They play the Nashua Cape Cobras at Sahara Park Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday and then travel to Kimberley to take on the Gestetner Diamond Eagles at the De Beers Diamond Oval on Tuesday.

Dolphins squad:

Ahmed Amla (Captain), Imraan Khan, HD Ackerman, Sanath Jayasuriya, Jon Kent, David Miller, Johann Louw, Daryn Smit, Alfonso Thomas, Yusuf Abdulla, Quinton Friend, Pierre de Bruyn