Tough challenge for Dolphins as Warriors set the pace in Durban

The Dolphins face arguably their toughest test of the season on Thursday after being set 365 runs to win by the Dafabet Warriors on the third day of their Cricket SA 4-Day Series match in Durban on Wednesday.

Thanks to yet another outstanding innings by JP King, with a significant amount of help from the impressive Matthew Breetzke, the Warriors transformed their first innings lead of 127 into a formidable advantage of 364 as they declared on 237/5 in their second innings.

By the close, after bad light stopped play, the Dolphins had reached 70/1 off 15.4 overs as Semal Pillay produced an attractive innings of 43 not out off 46 balls.

Earlier in the day, the Warriors had quickly removed the remaining two Dolphins batsmen for just four runs to see them dismissed for 253.

This was in reply to the visitors’ first innings of 380.

It was a moment for fast bowler Gideon Peters to remember as he added one more wicket to his tally to finish with outstanding figures of 5/67 in 14 overs.

The Dolphins then enjoyed one of their rare bright moments in the game when they removed the first four Warriors batters for just 83 runs.

While the visitors were still well ahead, it at least gave the Durban team a chance of possibly chasing something manageable.

But those hopes were quickly snuffed out as King and Breetzke got their heads down in a determined stand of 154 in 30 overs for the fifth wicket.

Breetzke has been the mainstay of the Warriors’ batting this season and stroked 13 fours and a six in his 91 not out off 128 balls.

King, meanwhile, has struck a rich vein of form and went to his third half-century in his last four innings with his contribution of 84 off 101 balls with 14 fours.

This follows the 54 he made the previous weekend against the Lions and the 86 he made in the first innings against the Dolphins, where he also pulled off a rescue act.

With his dismissal, the Warriors applied the declaration, giving them enough time to push for victory on the final day on Thursday.

And yet the Dolphins remain in the the fight and, with nothing to lose, they are a dangerous foe who would like nothing better than to chase down their target.