Vallie, Smuts give Warriors second win in a row

Fifties from Colin Ingram and Yaseen Vallie, and three wickets from JJ Smuts gave Warriors their second win in a row when they beat Dolphins by 42 runs (D/L method) in Port Elizabeth. After Warriors scored 276 for 7 in their 50 overs, the target for Dolphins was revised to 273 from 48 overs after rain interrupted play in the 14th over of the chase.

Opting to bat, Warriors lost Smuts for a duck in the fourth over before Gihahn Cloete (49) and Ingram put on 89 for the second wicket. However, both batsmen fell within seven overs and Warriors were then led by Vallie, who combined with the other middle-order batsmen to take them past 250. Vallie scored 96 off 78 balls, that featured 11 fours and a six, and was dismissed in the last over by Ryan McLaren. Craig Alexander and McLaren picked up two wickets each.

Dolphins also lost an opener - Morne van Wyk - for a duck early on in the innings when he was bowled in the first over. The other four of the top five batsmen got starts but could not convert them into big scores - Cameron Delport (34) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (28) put on 49 for the second wicket before Jaarsveld was run-out and Dolphins could not get a big partnership going after that. Cody Chetty scored 21 and Tshepang Dithole top-scored with 35 but left-arm spinner Smuts had Chetty caught behind and picked up two more quick wickets to end with 3 for 47. Dolphins were 147 for 8 before Robbie Frylinck (56) and Keshav Maharaj put on 61 for the ninth wicket but were eventually bowled out for 230 in the 41st over.