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Cobras beat Dolphins by eight runs

Australian Ian Harvey called on years of experience in a World Cup-winning team and held his nerve to bowl the Nashua Cape Cobras to a nail-biting eight run win.

Australian Ian Harvey called on years of experience in a World Cup-winning team and held his nerve to bowl the Nashua Cape Cobras to a nail-biting eight run win in the Standard Bank Pro20 match against thr Nashua Dolphins at Newlands on Friday.

Chasing the Cobras' challenging total of 161-5, the Dolphins' hopes were kept alive with a spirited 48 from just 25 balls by Dale Benkenstein but Harvey bowled him in the final over with 12 runs required from the final five balls.

The Australian then dived fearlessly under the feet of a charging Lance Klusener to run him out with the next ball and effectively win the game, the first Cobras' victory for 11 games including a barren run of 10 winless games in the Standard Bank Cup.

The home side's total had earlier been set up by an unbeaten half century from left hander JP Duminy who consolidated initially before accelerating purposefully towards the end of the innings.

Duminy's innings contained all the class and distinction normally associated with a much longer form of the game and illustrated that quick scoring does not necessarily have to include eccentric improvisation or slogging.

With a bat invariably straight, he timed the ball sweetly between mid and mid off and lofted two powerfully struck sixes over deep midwicket during his 67 from just 50 balls and also containing five fours.

The home side overcame a sluggish start that saw just 23 runs accrue from the opening five overs and 59 from the first ten. Opener Andrew Puttick was largely responsible for the trotting pace with a painstaking 29 from 33 balls although Rory Kleinveldt added a touch of sprint with 20 from 12 balls in the final three overs.

Dolphins opener Kyle Smit (46 from 36 balls) did his best to give the Dolphins a chance but until the Natalians accept that it makes no sense to have Klusener walking to the wicket with five balls of the match remaining, their Pro20 fortunes are unlikely to change. They have now lost their last eight matches in this form of the game.

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