Van Zyl, Hendricks star in Cobras' innings win

Stiaan van Zyl recorded his 12th first-class century and scored almost twice the entire Dolphins total, while 23-year old seamer Beuran Hendricks' six-for sealed an innings win for Cape Cobras in Pietermaritzburg to kick off their Sunfoil series campaign.

Only three batsmen managed double figures after Dolphins elected to bat. Rory Kleinveldt and offspinner Dane Piedt joined Hendricks in picking up three wickets each, and facilitated a fatal collapse - seven wickets for 31 runs. Vaughn van Jaarsveld held firm for 120 balls and was the last man out for 39.

Cobras were 140 for 5, held in check by the early loss of Andrew Puttick, when van Zyl found an able ally in Justin Kemp to stabilise the innings. Kleinveldt came in at 214 and pushed the lead further with a rapid half-century, his ninth in first-class cricket. Van Zyl continued in his role as anchor during the 111-run union for the seventh wicket and remained unbeaten on 167, as his side captured a lead of 310 runs.

Hendricks took centre stage in the second innings, dismissing four of the top-five batsmen, though Dolphins exhibited some backbone this time. Divan van Wyk, who scored the only fifty for the Dolphins, and Khaya Zondo enjoyed an 81-run stand for the second wicket. However, the momentum shifted drastically when that partnership was broken as Dolphins lost five wickets for 12 runs. Keshav Maharaj, the wicketkeeper, resisted with a knock of 37, but Hendricks was too good for the tail, dismissing the last two batsmen in the space of four balls to end up with 6 for 54.