Head-to-Head

Across the last three head-to-head meetings, Dolphins have two wins to Western Province’s one. In late November 2025, the Dolphins won by 15 runs, defending their total successfully to take the most recent contest. Earlier in November 2025, WP won by five wickets with 11 balls remaining, finishing the chase with time in hand. In October 2024, the Dolphins won by four wickets with six balls remaining, another game that went deep into the closing stages. The pattern is clear: these matchups have swung on small moments, with margins staying narrow rather than one side running away with it.

HDDolphins 141/8

WPWestern Province 126/9

2025-11-26 · HD won by 15 runs

WPWestern Province 139/5

HDDolphins 138/7

2025-11-16 · WP won by 5 wickets (with 11 balls remaining)

HDDolphins 169/6

WPWestern Province 167/6

2024-10-13 · HD won by 4 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)

Dolphins

Dolphins are fifth in the Super Eight with five points, a 0W-1L record, and a net run rate of -0.428. Their most recent outing ended in a seven-wicket defeat with three balls remaining after they batted first, a result that left little room for error at the back end. Before that, they produced a D/L-method win by 10 wickets with 25 balls remaining, a game that never drifted once the chase began. Another recent match saw them lose by six wickets with 30 balls remaining after setting a target, underlining how quickly games have slipped away when they haven’t controlled the middle overs.

HDDolphins 174/4

RORocks (Boland) 178/3

2026-11-01 · Rocks (Boland) won by 7 wickets (with 3 balls remaining)

HDDolphins 56/0

SWSouth Western Districts 51/4

2026-10-23 · HD won by 10 wickets (with 25 balls remaining) (D/L method)

HDDolphins 116/10

WAWarriors 117/4

2026-10-20 · WAR won by 6 wickets (with 30 balls remaining)

Western Province

Western Province arrive off a four-wicket loss with 21 balls remaining after they batted first, a finish that showed how hard it can be to defend when the chase stays comfortable. They do have two wins in their last three matches, including a D/L-method victory by five wickets that went down to the final ball. Another recent success came by six wickets with one ball remaining, again requiring them to hold their nerve deep into the chase. In the Super Eight table they sit eighth with one point, carrying a 0W-1L record and an NRR of -1.561.

WPWestern Province 130/8

WAWarriors 133/6

2026-10-31 · WAR won by 4 wickets (with 21 balls remaining)

WPWestern Province 117/5

KNKwaZulu-Natal Inland 164/3

2026-10-25 · WP won by 5 wickets (with 0 ball remaining) (D/L method)

WPWestern Province 176/4

RORocks (Boland) 174/7

2026-10-14 · WP won by 6 wickets (with 1 ball remaining)

Expected Lineups

HD WP

The Dolphins’ likely XI from the squad leans on Grant Roelofsen as the wicketkeeper, with Jason Smith, Khaya Zondo, Marques Ackerman and David Miller shaping the batting. Ottneil Baartman and Keith Dudgeon sit among the leading impact options in the bowling group, alongside Sean Gilson. Bryce Parsons and Prenelan Subrayen give the side allround depth, and the final XI is still to come.

Best players

CareeriCareer impact per match: runs + wickets + strike-rate, across the player's whole record. Higher is better.FormiThe same impact score over the player's last 5 matches — current form rather than career. Higher is better.

Grant Roelofsen

Wicketkeeper

32.121.2

Ottneil Baartman

Bowler

29.836.2

Keith Dudgeon

Bowler

29.534.9

Western Province look set to build around Joshua van Heerden at the top, with Edward Moore, Jiveshan Pillay and Tony de Zorzi as further batting options. Daniel Smith is the projected wicketkeeper and also rates as one of their top impact players, while George Linde is the headline allrounder in the likely mix. Nandre Burger and Dane Paterson are the specialist bowlers in the projected XI, and the official team will be confirmed closer to the start.

Best players

CareeriCareer impact per match: runs + wickets + strike-rate, across the player's whole record. Higher is better.FormiThe same impact score over the player's last 5 matches — current form rather than career. Higher is better.

Joshua van Heerden

Batsman

31.837.7

Daniel Smith

Wicketkeeper

29.946.7

George Linde

Allrounder

2932.1

Key Stats

Prediction

All four models side with HD, with the model average at 60% for Dolphins and 40% for Western Province. Bookmakers price it as a dead heat: HD 50% (odds 1.85) vs WP 50% (odds 1.85). That creates a 10.2 percentage-point model-vs-market edge in favour of HD (60% vs 50%). The Key Stats card reads exactly: HD 3 - 4 WP, so the underlying indicators are not one-sided even with the model consensus. The match may hinge on whether HD can convert their stronger points and NRR position into a complete performance, or whether WP’s better form and slightly higher Elo show up when the game tightens late.