Van Jaarsveld’s return bolsters Dolphins

The Dolphins head into the second half of the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge on the back of the news that star batsman Vaughn van Jaarsveld has overcome a back issue and will be in the squad for their home game against the Cape Cobras at Kingsmead on Friday.

Having the left-hander back in the ranks is a welcome boost for the Dolphins who have only managed to finish two of their five games in the campaign thus far. An opening round win against this Friday’s opposition and a narrow loss to the Highveld Lions in their third match sees the men from Durban on ten points tied with the Knights and Lions.

“This is definitely the most exciting squad of players that I have coached in my career,” Morgan enthused.

“It is an absolute privilage that the team that I am involved in can take on the best players in the country. This is surely what you play cricket for.

“We might never have all of these international players in the pot together again and I believe that the team we have here is one of the most exciting.

“The boys are really excited to entertain and there are no excuses not to deliver.”

Having beaten the Cobras in their first match of the campaign at SuperSport Park Centurion, the side from Cape Town have come back strongly and currently sit in second place on the log following three wins in a row.

The Dolphins will call on the experience of former Cobra Dane Vilas when they meet at 6pm on Friday evening.

“They are obviously a good side with some strong Proteas in their line up as well as a number of players with a lot of experience,” Vilas mentioned.

“We played really well against them last time and batted well and bowled well up-front so we are pretty confident going into the match this Friday.

“Hopefully I can add a bit of insight into their thinking in the build-up and on the field.”

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The Dolphins’ first home game drew a crowd of around 6000 people despite the match being abandonded due to rain and Vilas spoke on behalf of the team when he showed his appreciation for the impressive turn out.

“All the effort that the marketing team has put in has translated into numbers in the stadium and it is what we want as cricketers, to play in front of big crowds.

“Unfortunately the rain got in the way but we could see that the fans were still having a great time despite the weather.

“Friday should be a great evening and we hope to see the same amount of people if not more at the ground!” Vilas added.

The Dolphins take on the Cape Cobras at Kingsmead on Friday, 1 December. Gates open at 16:00.

Port Elizabeth is the venue for the Dolphins’ Sunday showdown with the Warriors at St George’s Park.

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