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Cape Town - Keshav Maharaj took a staggering 12 wickets on the same day as the Dolphins moved towards the brink of victory against the Warriors in their first round Sunfoil Series encounter at Buffalo Park in East London on Friday.
The slow left-armer first recorded career-best figures of 7/89 as the hosts succumbed for 230, replying to the visitors’ first-innings 478.
They were then told to follow on by Morne van Wyk and things got even worse as Maharaj’s 5/52 left the Warriors on a dire 132/7 at stumps, still needing 116 to make the Dolphins bat again.
It was a complete turn of events after the men from Eastern Cape had started the day well-poised and with some confidence behind them on 104/1.
By the end of the day, they had lost 16 wickets for 258 runs – with Maharaj at the heart of everything.
Eddie Moore (62 off 180 balls, 8 fours) and Colin Ackermann (68 off 177 balls, 6 fours) saw their 129-run second wicket stand ended early in the day by the Dolphins spinner, who removed both within seven balls of his marathon 33.3 over spell.
There was little resistance from the rest as Maharaj had the innings sewed up in 91.3 overs with a wicket each for Robbie Frylinck (1/17), Mthokozisi Shezi (1/50) and Craig Alexander (1/59).
Opener Moore (35) and Michael Price (36) gave the Warriors a solid start of 60 second time of asking.
But Maharaj, who opened the bowling and sent down 20 of the 44 second-innings overs, then ripped through the batting to end the day with 12/141 in 53.3 overs, including 10 maidens.
