Dolphins buckle under pressure

2008-03-26 22:18

Cape Town - The Dolphins buckled under the pressure of good death bowling to give the Cobras an 11-run victory in their Standard Bank Pro20 match at Newlands on Wednesday night.

Tight bowling in mid innings by Tyron Henderson (two for 16) and captain Con de Lange (one for 18) had applied the pressure that was exploited in the final four overs.

Charl Langeveldt took the wickets of Grant Rowley and Morné van Vuuren with successive deliveries to tilt the game decisively in the Cobras' direction.

Vernon Philander conceded only seven off the penultimate over to leave the Dolphins requiring 19 from the last six balls and although the impressive Kent finished with 46 not out from 32 balls, Langeveldt had the final word.

He took two more wickets in the final over to finish with figures of four for 26 from his four overs.

The target had been largely posted by dropped Proteas star Herschelle Gibbs who took out his frustrations on the Dolphins attack.

He powered to a quickfire 60 in the Cape Cobras 143 for six after being left bizarrely kicking his heels in the dug out for four overs while rising young star Richard Levi had a taste opening the batting in Pro20.

Levi looks a fine prospect - and smashed all Jacques Kallis's batting records at Wynberg Boys' High - but he scratched around for four overs before being caught behind for four.

That opened the way for Gibbs to stride to the wicket and pull the Dolphins apart hitting seven fours and two sixes in his 42 ball innings.

Andrew Puttick made 36 in 40 balls and Rory Kleinveldt hit two late sixes in his seven-ball 15 to lift the score beyond the Dolphins' reach.

- News24