Bosman and Rudolph bludgeon Eagles home

Eagles 128 for 0 (Bosman 58*, Rudolph 57*) beat Dolphins 126 for 7 (de Bruyn 44) by 10 wickets
Scorecard

The Dolphins might have been tempted to call the police while Loots Bosman and Jacques Rudolph went about bludgeoning the Eagles to a 10-wicket win in their Standard Bank Pro 20 match in Durban on Friday.

The Dolphins totalled what looked like a reasonable 126 for 7, but the Eagles hardly flicked a tail feather in replying with 128 without loss to win with 6.3 overs to spare.

Bosman blasted 58 not out off 38 balls with four fours and five sixes, while Rudolph clipped his unbeaten 57 off 43 deliveries and hit six fours and a six. The Eagles openers batted with criminal intent, and their only real victim on the night was Brian Jerling, the umpire.

Jerling was minding his own business at square leg when Rudolph launched a full-blooded pull shot that smacked the umpire on the zipper of his trousers. Every male eye in the stadium watered while Jerling writhed on the ground - a stretcher was even brought onto the ground - but happily he was able to continue with his duties.

Pierre de Bruyn and Daryn Smit shared a half-century stand to boost the Nashua Dolphins to their total. De Bruyn scored 44 and Smit made an unbeaten 32 after the Dolphins had dwindled to 53 for 5 in the 11th over. Their six-wicket partnership was worth 73.

Roger Telemachus struck twice to help reduce the home side to 37 for four in the eighth over. And when Ryan McLaren removed Martin Bekker for four to claim the fifth wicket, the Dolphins seemed to be sinking. But De Bruyn and Smit raised their team's hopes with intelligent strokeplay rather than booming hitting. The partnership was ended with the penultimate ball of the innings when Dillon du Preez bowled De Bruyn.

The Dolphins might have fancied their chances after that, but Bosman and Rudolph took the game away from them in uncompromising style. Poor discipline in the field and some ordinary bowling also played into the Eagles' hands.