Durban - Rain was again the winner as the Dolphins were forced to settle for a fourth no-result after their domestic One-day Cup cricket match against the Titans was washed out in Durban on Wednesday.
The hosts were on course for victory after reaching 97 for two after 18.5 overs in pursuit of 253 with the winning Duckworth/Lewis score being 83 after 20 overs, which are required to be completed in order to constitute a match.
Captain Imraan Khan was unbeaten on 33 and Devon Conway (four) was with him when the first drops of rain arrived.
Despite an overcast day in Durban, it looked like there finally would be a completed game in KwaZulu-Natal following three previous washouts – two at Kingsmead and one at the Pietermaritzburg Oval.
The visitors batted first and reached 252 for nine thanks mainly to Jacques Rudolph (64) and Henry Davids (46), with Cameron Delport the pick of the bowlers after claiming four for 42.
Rudolph, who was one of two returning Proteas in the visitors’ line-up along with AB de Villiers, and Davids shared in a 78-run stand for the first wicket.
Davids was the first man to go when he slashed Friedel de Wet straight to Khan at mid-off.
Rudolph went past 50 from 64 balls and continued to prosper with his captain Martin van Jaarsveld (24) in a 52-run partnership for the second wicket that took the score to 130.
But they both fell in quick succession to the spin of Khan with figures of two for 25.
That brought De Villiers and the in-form Faf du Plessis together and with them at the crease, the visitors looked destined to reach close to 300.
It was 188 for three with more than 12 overs to go when things turned against them as they lost Du Plessis first for 22, followed by De Villiers for 42, with Kyle Abbott and Dane Paterson the wicket-takers.
The Delport show followed with Farhaan Behardien (27), David Wiese (12), Roelof van der Merwe (nought) and Marchant de Lange (eight) all gone within the space of 10 deliveries as the Titans lost their way.
The Dolphins made a steady start to their response with Khan and Khayalihle Zondo solid up front.
They shared 38 together when Zondo tried to pull a short delivery from Marchant de Lange and succeeded only in edging to slip for 11.
Divan van Wyk (25) was next in and added 50 off 55 with his captain before being trapped leg before wicket by De Lange. The rain then came when the hosts had reached 97 for two.
Play was eventually called off at 9.50pm with both sides claiming two points each. - Sapa