The Dolphins broke Boland’s hearts to lift the Cricket SA 1-Day Cup final in a thrilling final at Boland Park on Sunday.
The visitors held their nerve in a tense chase to claim victory by four wickets with young Hanu Viljoen (35 not out) once again showing that he has ice running through his veins.
The 23-year-old, who has been instrumental in getting the Dolphins to the final by winning the Player of the Match in the last three matches, kept his composure when more senior Dolphins players were losing theirs.
Viljoen struck the winning runs off the first ball off the final over to send the visitors’ changeroom into raptures.
Fellow youngster Andile Simelane also showed he was the man for the clutch moments with the 20-year-old striking a straight six off the final ball of Aya Gcqamane’ penultimate over to reduce the target to three runs required off Lehan Botha’s final six deliveries.
The Dolphins were coasting along at 163/3 in 32.1 overs with the experienced Jon-Jon Smuts (91 off 111 balls) and Khaya Zondo (45 off 44 balls) bossing the visitors’ pursuit of 248.
The pair shared a 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but when they were both removed by left-arm spinner Siyabonga Mahima (3/25) that’s when Boland put the squeeze on and the panic started to set in.
But despite the pressure building, Viljoen remained calm throughout to edge the visitors over the line.
Earlier, the Boland innings was a tale of two halves after the home team were reduced to 23/4 and 90/6 before the tail wagged spectacularly to get their team up to competitive 247/8.
After losing the toss and being inserted by the Dolphins, the Boland top-order succumbed to the slow poison of Prenalyn Subrayen (2/35) and Keshav Maharaj (2/36).
The Dolphins duo enjoyed the spin-friendly conditions, and with aid of a couple of dubious decisions from umpire Lubabalo Gcuma, Blayde Capell (2), Gavin Kaplan (6) and Aviwe Mgijima (1) were all trapped in front.
And when seamer Andile Simelane sent Lehan Botha’s middle stump cartwheeling, the Boland Park faithful were left wondering if the first Cricket SA limited-overs final at the winelands venue since 1999 was going to be a major anti-climax.
However, it was former Dolphins man Grant Roelofsen and Boland captain Clyde Reeves-Fortuin that began the rebuilding process with a 50-run stand for the fifth wicket.
But just when Boland were starting to see the rainbow emerging, umpire Gcuma struck again when he adjudged Roelofsen (41) caught behind off Subrayen despite there being a clear gap between bat and ball.
And when Shaun von Berg followed shortly afterwards, it seemed Boland’s fate had been sealed.
Nobody informed Aya Gqamane and Imran Manack of the script though with the pair sharing a heroic 96-run eighth-wicket stand from 75 deliveries.
Both Gqamane (69 off 77 balls) and Manack (50 not out off 39 balls) showed up their top-order by cracking nine boundaries and three sixes during their partnership with both batters striking half-centuries to go along with the skipper Fortuin’s 54 (64 balls).
