Batsmen dominate in East London

Cape Town - Half centuries from Khaya Zondo and Keshav Maharaj meant the Dolphins enjoyed another good outing on day two of their Sunfoil Series opener against the Warriors at Buffalo Park in East London on Thursday.

But it was not a bad day for the hosts either as they reached the halfway stage of the game on 104/1 in reply to the visitors’ 478 all out, with Colin Ackermann unbeaten on 56 (122 balls, 5 fours).

The Dolphins, under new coach Grant Morgan, started out the day on 281/5 and then lost captain Morne van Wyk (19) and Sibonelo Makhanya (11) as they fell to 360/7.

But Zondo and Maharaj provided a strong eighth-wicket stand of 108 to leave their side excellently place – the former making a measured 81 (150 balls, 13 fours) and the latter an aggressive 72 (71 balls, 7 fours, 4 sixes).

Basheer Walters finished as the pick of the bowlers with 4/72, while Andrew Birch claimed 3/83.

In reply, the Warriors lost Michael Price (2) in the third over, but an unbroken 100-run stand between Ackerman and Eddie Moore (46) meant they were fighting back well by the close.