The Dolphins booked their place in the semifinal of the Standard Bank Pro20 competition by posting a deserving nine run victory over the Cape Cobras at the Kingsmead on Friday evening.
Last season, the Dolphins lost each of their pool matches but after three games the KZN outfit are yet to taste defeat.
The home side was put into bat and chalked up 154 well-executed runs for the loss of three wickets, with Vaughn Van Jaarsveld (53), Devon Conway (62 not out) and a late blast from Daryn Smith (22 not out) being the key contributors.
Van Jaarsveld pocketed the Master Blaster award for his exploits with the bat.
Apart from the 56 run partnership for the second wicket between Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Puttick, the Cobras' batting seemed to lack the necessary venom to rattle their hosts.
Kyle Abbott (2/21) who got the bowling award, together with John Kent (2/24) were the pick of the Dolphins' attack, while part-time bowlers Imran Khan and Ahmed Amla leaked a miserly 26 runs from their collective four overs.
Khan also claimed the wicket of Puttick while Amla bagged Gibbs' scalp just when they seemed to be hitting their straps.
The visitors' run chase received an early set-back when Kent had Richard Levi caught on the mid-on boundary in the first over of the Cobras innings which brought Gibbs to the wicket.
Though the former Proteas player offered a few chances, the Cobras looked to be on track for the win while he was at the crease with Puttick but, once they departed, the Dolphins applied the pressure and picked up wicket at regular intervals.
The Dolphins' innings hinged heavily on the 91 run third wicket partnership between Van Jaarsveld and Devon Conway.
Van Jaarsveld helped himself to 53 runs off 38 balls before lofting a Justin Kemp delivery to Justin Ontong who came off the long-on boundary to take the catch.
His innings was a mixture of good running between wickets with his partner and some trademark heaves over the boundary ropes.
After Van Jaarsveld was out, Conway carried his bat and teamed up with Smith to post a quick-fire 44 runs and take the Dolphins beyond the 150 mark.
Conway's knock of 62 off 60 balls, included a few delicate sweeps and paddle shots which raced to the boundary on seven occasions while. Smith's innings included two sixes. – Sapa