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Patrick Compton
ROBBIE Frylinck certainly earned his ice bath and a night of dreamless sleep after a day of brutal heat at the Oval in Pietermaritzburg yesterday.
The 27-year-old Dolphins all-rounder came on to bowl from the City End at precisely 9.50am, just 50 minutes after the start of play. He then wheeled away from that end until the end of play, bowling 43 overs of off-spin on the trot – a first for him – and picking up 3/122.
It was a sterling effort from Frylinck who is easily the Dolphins’ leading wicket-taker in the SuperSport Series this season, with a total of 31. The conditions – slowish, extremely dry pitch, no swing or seam movement – were all in favour of the batsmen and the Dolphins’ modest attack did reasonably well in the circumstances to limit the high-flying visitors to 311/4 on a day when the temperature rose to 42ºC. Conceding a run rate of just over three to the over in such Turkish bath conditions is decent going.
Nevertheless, with Stiaan van Zyl striking his first SuperSport Series hundred of the season and his sixth overall, helped by half-centuries from opener Mohammed Vallie and Justin Ontong, the Cobras will be well satisfied with their first day’s work.
Skipper Justin Kemp and Richard Levi were still there at the close and they will have the belligerent Dane Vilas today to help them build a formidable total.
A ruby-red Frylinck said after his epic effort that he “didn’t feel too bad” and that he had enjoyed “doing a job” for the team, holding up an end and allowing the battery of medium-pacers to bowl short spells at the other end.
“Spin will be the key in this match, particularly on days three and four, and it’s vital that we bat well in our first innings and don’t leave ourselves a major deficit.”
The Cobras, however, will appreciate the fact that the pitch – which is already showing unevenness of bounce – will also take increasing turn as the match wears on and, in off-spinner Dane Piedt and left-arm spinner Siyabulela Simetu, they may possess the instruments of victory.
The Cobras’ top-order batted responsibly throughout the day, selecting the bad ball to hit and being content to block the good ones. Vallie, Ontong and Van Zyl – all organised, technically proficient batsmen – knew that a patient approach would pay dividends and this proved to be the case.
For the Dolphins, Kyle Abbott bowled with excellent control, conceding only 33 runs in 16 overs while Khaya Zondo picked up his second SuperSport Series wicket, inducing Ontong to mistime a floating off-break to midwicket.
Frylinck captured the important scalps of Puttick, who played on to a quicker delivery that skidded on, Vallie, who top-edged a sweep to backward square leg and Van Zyl who was trapped in front to another quicker delivery.
Debutant Brandon Scullard will have learnt a great deal from his first senior outing. He bowled with good pace, but tended to bowl two lengths and he suffered some punishment as a result. But when he got it right, he looked dangerous.
