Star Dolphins shine at cricket awards
As the 2023/24 domestic cricket season drew to a close, Durban’s Hollywoodbets Dolphins celebrated the achievements of their men’s and women’s teams at their 2024 season ending awards.
Elite cricket players, Okuhle Cele and Alexander Candler took home the coveted Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards.
The highlight for the 2023/24 season was the Hollywoodbets Dolphins women’s team winning the first ever Cricket South Africa (CSA) Women’s One Day Cup trophy, a first trophy for a Dolphins women’s side.
The men’s side produced another strong season despite not winning a trophy. They made the final of the CSA T20 Challenge once again, while they fell short of the CSA 4-Day Domestic Series final.
Candler shone with the bat for the Dolphins side and played a crucial role in winning the 50-over competition. She scored a vital 89 in their final match against the Lions which helped them achieve a historic victory.
She ended as the Dolphins’ highest run scorer in the competition and backed that up with being the highest run scorer for the Dolphins in the T20 competition as well, said President of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Cricket Union, Yunus Bobat.
“Candler ended with 278 runs at an average of 46 and a top score of 89 in the One Day Cup and made 165 runs with a top score of 62 not out in the T20 Competition,” said Bobat.
“On the men’s side, Cele was the stand-out bowler for the Dolphins this season following his return to Durban from the Titans. In the recently concluded T20 Challenge he picked up 17 wickets to go with his 24 wickets that he bagged in the 4-Day Series. He finished as the Dolphins’ top bowler in those two competitions.”
After finishing as the tournament’s leading run scorer, Marques Ackerman was awarded the CSA 4-Day Domestic Series Player of the Year. Ackerman ended the competition with 571 runs at an average of 51, which included three fifties and one hundred.
Jason Smith was the stand-out player for the Dolphins in the One Day Cup and was given the Dolphins One Day Cup Player of the Year award.
He scored 266 runs at an average of 88 which included one hundred and two fifties, Bobat said.
Among the women’s award winners were Jade de Figueiredo, who won the T20 Challenge bowler of the year, and Proteas star Nonkululeko Mlaba, who was awarded the One Day Cup Bowler of the Year award. De Figueiredo took nine wickets, best figures of 2/1, at an economy of just 3.83 runs to the over in the T20 Challenge.
Mlaba shone with the ball in the One Day Cup with 18 wickets at an average of eight runs a wicket and best figures of 5/24.
Dolphins captain Nondumiso Shangase won the One Day Cup Fielder of the Year prize.
Recently contracted Proteas fast bowler Zintle Mali won the Impact Player of the Year award.
“It’s important that we recognise outstanding achievements from our players, and we are proud of all the efforts of both our men’s and women’s teams,” said Bobat.
“To see our women’s side win their first trophy in the top division given how quickly they have risen through the ranks is an incredible achievement and we are proud of our women’s team for all they have achieved. It was another good season across the board, but we will be hoping to kick on again in the upcoming season.”
CEO of the KZN Cricket Union Heinrich Strydom praised the teams after another strong season across the board.
“It was another memorable season for our Hollywoodbets Dolphins teams,” Strydom said.
“Our women’s side shone the light for us with their historic One Day Cup win and the men’s side equipped themselves well throughout the season. It’s important to acknowledge all those people that make things possible, and we’re privileged to have such fantastic partners at the Dolphins.”