Dolphins kept believing despite all the outside noise, says 1-Day Cup winning coach Friend

As the summer Highveld rain lashed down over SuperSport Park on Sunday, 23 February 2025, the tension in the Centurion dressing room was palpable. 

Dolphins coach Quinton Friend had just seen his team score over 300 against a strong Titans outfit, but had to be content with sharing the points after the match was abandoned after just 2.3 overs of the hosts’ reply.

Friend sat contemplatively, reflecting on a season that was threatening to spiral into the abyss since his unexpected appointment. 

With only a single four-day victory under their belts, a basement finish in the CSA T20 Challenge and winless after three matches in the CSA 1-Day Cup, Friend’s aspirations to keep the Dolphins in Division 1 were hanging by a thread.

Yet, amid the chaos, a spark ignited with Friend taking it upon himself to revamp the struggling morale within the squad. 

And from that pivotal moment, the Dolphins roared back to life, securing six consecutive victories that culminated in a glorious triumph at Boland Park in a thrilling CSA 1-Day Cup final last Sunday.

“I think the Titans game, you know, we scored 300-plus and it ended up being a no result. I think that was pretty much a momentum shift for us in the right direction,” Friend told Independent Media.

“I think just from a batting point of view, the confidence that the guys gained out of that innings, I think really set us off on the streak that we ended up having.  

“You know, to go and win six out of six, I think is a remarkable effort. I mean, you've got to give credit to the players, you know, in a way that they just handled themselves during the course of the disappointments throughout the season, but never stopped believing in what they could achieve and what we can achieve as a team.”

There has been plenty of focus on the Dolphins having benefitted from a boardroom decision that docked the Warriors points that ultimately enabled the KwaZulu-Natal team to progress to the 1-Day Cup semi-finals, but Friend feels that should not undermine his team’s achievements considering the obstacles they have encountered this past season.

Not only was Friend a last-minute replacement for Khan, who was called up to the Proteas as the batting lead, but the Dolphins have endured a nightmarish season in terms of injuries which would have left many other provincial unions struggling to field a starting XI.

“I think obviously getting the job a month before the start of the season was challenging in itself,” Friend said.

“You almost didn't want to change too much early doors because you had some sort of continuity with the squad that we had on hand. 

“But in saying that you had to make some sort of changes for the betterment of the team and them following the way that you want them to play.

“But having three Proteas call-ups and then nine injuries in the competition, I don't think it's easy for any team to come back.

“We ended up using 20, I think it was 21 players during the course of the T20 competition. And that already tells you, you know, that it's quite disruptive. 

“A lot of younger players got opportunities in that competition. And, you know, if I look back at it and I look at the amount of players that got opportunities, I don't see it as a bad thing. 

“I think it's given us a nice indication of where certain players are at, younger players are at, within our system.”

One of those rookies that has certainly taken his chance is wicket-keeper/batter Hanu Viljoen after an injury to captain Marques Ackerman opened up a spot in the middle-order.

Viljoen has been sensational during the latter stages of the 1-Day Cup, winning three consecutive Player of the Match performances, before maintaining his composure to take the Dolphins over the line in a tense run chase in the final at Boland Park.

The 23-year-old struck 238 runs at an average of 79.33 during the successful 1-Day Cup campaign.

“Yeah, listen, I think he's a real special one for the future,” Friend said. “I think there's a guy that you feel has probably got the calmest mind out of all of our players.

“I think just the way that he is, for his age, I think just the way that he's been handling pressure situations … he's just a fantastic kid. He just wants to learn. He wants to get better all the time. 

“He's got ambitions of playing for South Africa, and it's nice to have individuals that are coachable and always want to learn.

“That's very, very important from a player perspective, but also as a coach, because you feel like this guy just wants to learn and he always wants to get better and he wants to win games for the Dolphins and that's his main focus.”