Obakeng Meletse
Following opening round losses for both the Dolphins and Titans, their upcoming clash in the CSA 4-day Series will offer both sides a fresh chance to get on the board with victory at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban starting today. The Dolphins will host their second consecutive home encounter, and having already lost by 51 runs to Western Province earlier this month, the clash against the 2021/22 champions will not get easier.
The Titans have endured a poor run leading up to the tournament, and the same pattern continued when they were beaten by the Lions by a heavy 153 runs after having reduced the defending champions to 54/5 with a lead of only 68 in the second innings. The clash today will be the second for both teams, but the need to get back on track will be of importance as two losses in a row could make it tricky moving ahead.
Here, we look at the talking points heading to the contest.
Dolphins need to convert starts into big scores
The Dolphins must focus on transforming solid starts into substantial innings totals to remain competitive. Sarel Erwee’s scores of 48 and 42 in both innings needed to be converted to big scores. The Dolphins struggled to reach 200 in either innings, which prevented them from placing Western Province under severe pressure.
Romashan Pillay top scored with a solid second innings 66 in the middle order, but the top and middle order regularly managed to get themselves in, yet nobody carried on. This is an area they need to address if they wish to surpass a strong Titans outfit.
Limit scoring with spinners
Spinner Tsepo Ndwandwa (3.75) conceded close to four runs an over in the 20 he bowled in the Lions second innings. The onslaught from captain Bjorn Fortuin (116) put the Titans in a corner and ultimately cost them the match, as they went from looking at restricting the home side to between 100 and 150 runs to chasing a challenging 309 to win.
The part-time option of Dewald Brevis didn’t work out either, as he also struggled, conceding 5.66 runs per over. This could be an area the Dolphins look to exploit should the visitors opt for the same strategy again today.
Andile Phehlukwayo returns home with his head held high
The 28-year-old all-rounder spent over a decade of his career donning the green and black of the Dolphins, Having made the move north of the Jukskei, he could be an X-factor for the Titans, especially with the knowledge he has of the home team players. There have been glimpses of his best with the bat during the T20 Challenge, and his innings of 88 in the first innings against the Lions showed a lot of responsibility and what could be in store for the rest of the season.
Stepping up with Jason Smith
The 30-year-old all-rounder is capable of holding his own with bat and ball, and he will have a lot more to do in the absence of Andile Simelane, who is still attending to national duty in the ongoing T20I series against India.