Playing instead of politics the primary target for One-Day Cup final

A tumultuous week, in which much of the focus has been on matters off the field, will conclude with attention switching to happenings on it when Boland host the Dolphins in the final of the One-Day Cup on Sunday.

It is unlikely the tournament will ever shake off the controversy that has been attached to it after the Eastern Province Warriors were sanctioned for not fielding sufficient black African players in one match and eliminated from the play-offs as a result. 

That saw the Dolphins promoted into second place and therefore the Titans losing out on hosting that knockout game. The Warriors have launched a formal dispute with Cricket SA and the Titans are angry too about not playing an extra match at home. CSA meanwhile is back in the spotlight over transformation, controversy they’ve faced more than once in the past 12 months. 

For the players on both sides in Sunday’s final, playing will offer a semblance of relief. 

Dolphins captain Prenelan Subrayen said his team had already had a difficult season after the T20 Challenge, where they finished bottom of the table and there were several areas in which the players felt they needed to improve. “It was easy for us to focus on playing. The political part of things we leave to the office staff,” Subrayen stated.

Facing Boland in Paarl is hard enough. There was good fortune in the way that fixtures fell in favour of Clyde Fortuin’s team, who got to play four of their league matches at Boland Park, taking advantage of conditions that overwhelmingly favoured spin. The skill lay in them winning all of those matches, three with a bonus point.

Before the competition, Boland faced a Dutch 11 at their home ground, which provided an example of the kind of pitch they’d be playing on. 

“We knew the square would take turn and as batters we knew there wouldn’t be totals of 350 or 400,” said Fortuin.

“We knew as batters we’d also be facing a lot of spin and that wouldn’t be easy, but we made peace with it. Our spinners have also been unbelievable, no opposition team has scored over 200.”

Boland’s dominance is reflected in the tournament’s statistics. Off-spinner Imran Manack is the second highest wicket-taker with 15, veteran leg-spinner Shaun von Berg has 10 and Aviwe Mgijima 7.   

However, the Dolphins are perhaps the one team Boland would not have wanted to meet in the final, given that they’re accustomed to spinning conditions. “It is similar, but only in terms of spin, it differs in other regards,” Subrayen said of conditions in Paarl, compared to Kingsmead. 

The presence of Keshav Maharaj is a boon for the Dolphins, adding experience and leadership to their side, along with his prodigious skill. 

When the teams met in Paarl in the league phase, Boland won by six wickets, dismissing the Dolphins for 174, with all 10 of the visiting team’s wickets falling to spinners. Boland also bowled 10 more overs of spin than the Dolphins, something that Maharaj, who missed that match while he was away at the Champions Trophy, will help offset on Sunday.

The Dolphins had plenty of luck fall their way this week, but in Jon-Jon Smuts, Jason Smith and Bryce Parsons, they also have three batters who’ve scored more than 200 runs in the competition, while Subrayen and Maharaj are a wily duo who will know precisely how to use conditions in Paarl. 

A win for Boland would be special for a union which is not flush with cash, but has a deep reservoir of talent, which head coach Justin Ontong has used smartly to put them within sight of a second title since the return to a 15-team domestic structure.