Dolphins bowled over by blind cricket encounter

Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Blind Cricket team celebrated a special win when they beat the Dolphins in a friendly match at the Kingsmead Oval on Saturday, coming out convincing victors by nine wickets.

While the match was an entertaining event, it was also a profoundly moving and insightful affair for the Dolphins players, who had to wear blindfolds and blacked-out glasses to make the match against the blind cricketers a fair one.

The game is very different from conventional cricket with the ball containing a rattle and bowlers bowling under-arm and rolling the ball along the ground.

Blind teams are also made up of players with varying degrees of visual impairment with some being partially sighted to others that have no vision at all.

There was a sense of awareness and camaraderie at the Oval as the KZN Blind Cricket side won the toss and chose to bowl first under clear blue skies.

In their blindfolds the Dolphins posted a total of 82 runs from their allotted ten overs.

In their reply the KZN Blind team knocked off the required runs comfortably to secure the victory, boosting their confidence as they prepare for the National Blind Cricket Week which will get underway at Northwood next month.

Dolphins batsman Vaughn van Jaarsveld came away from the match full of respect for the provincial blind team and blind cricketers in general.

"I take my hat off to the blind cricketers that play this game day in and day out with no sight," Van Jaarsveld said. "They definitely taught us a thing or two about cricket, how to be humble and also enjoy the game."

President of KZN Blind Cricket Ndumiso Nyawose said, the main aim of the day was about was educating and letting people know that blind cricket in the exists in KwaZulu-Natal.

"The spectators and the Dolphins players got a chance to learn about the life of someone who can't see and also how skilled the blind cricketers are in their discipline," Nyawose said.

The match saw a healthy turnout of the spectators who made their way from all parts of Durban.

Nyawose went on to thank the KZN Cricket Union and the Dolphins for the support they showed to KZN Blind Cricket.

The KwaZulu-Natal Blind Cricket team celebrated a special win when they beat the @Hollywoodbets Dolphins in a friendly match at the Kingsmead Oval on Saturday, coming out convincing victors by nine wickets.

Read more: https://t.co/16308M0v30 #DolphinsCricket ?? pic.twitter.com/oWntRQ3eKP

— Dolphins Cricket (@DolphinsCricket) August 19, 2019