The Cape Cobras cantered to an innings and 166-run victory over the Dolphins on the final day of their four-day SuperSport Series clash Series clash at Boland Park on Sunday.
The JP Duminy-inspired Cobras needed only two sessions to wrap up the demolition job which ended when the Dolphins second innings crumbled at 250 all out. The Dolphins' first innings folded on Saturday when they scored a paltry 99 runs in response the Cobras' mammoth first innings of 515/5 declared.
For their victorious efforts, the Cobras bagged 18 (4 batting, 4 bowling, 10 outright win) bonus points as opposed to one for the Dolphins (bowling).
Duminy's undefeated double century was followed up on Sunday with a great spell of spin bowling which saw him claim two wickets to help hasten the visitors' demise.
The Dolphins' slide to defeat gained momentum in the first session when they lost four wickets after the Cobras turned to their part time spinners Alistair Gray and Duminy with great effect. After Vernon Philander once again engineered the breakthrough - he's become a breakthrough specialist – Gray struck and then Duminy picked up two scalps in successive overs to reduce the Dolphins to 193/6. The Dolphins' overnight second innings stood at 63/2.
Of the four pre-lunch wickets to fall, the most valuable was that of Vaughn van Jaarsveld who batted with enterprise in his 71-ball knock of 57 runs. He cracked eight fours and two sixes before his wicket was snared by Gray.
When play resumed in the post-lunch session Philander, true to form, struck again, This time he captured the prize wicket of the England-born Ravi Bopara who top-scored for the Dolphins with 74, including 10 fours, and the innings continued to totter at 207/7.
With all the Dolphins' recognised batsmen out of the way by this stage it was only a matter of time before the Cobras delivered the coup de grace.
Their speedsters Charl Langeveldt (2/36) and Philander (3/40) were handed the task of landing the knock-out blows. – Sapa