With a handful of Proteas caps to his name, experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Magaliso Mosehle moved to KwaZulu-Natal with an eye on returning to franchise cricket and has been awarded a Dolphins contract for next season.

At the beginning of last season the 29-year-old moved down to KZN Inland to try to reignite his career. This worked as he produced strong performances for the Inland Blues which helped him graduate to the Dolphins 4-Day Domestic Series side.

Known as one of the country’s top wicket-keepers, Mosehle’s skills behind the stumps might have been offset by some indifferent form with the bat, but that is an area that he wants to improve on significantly going into the new season.

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‘I must admit that I wasn’t expecting to get a franchise contract, but I am grateful for the opportunity and I cannot wait to make the most of it,’ Mosehle said.

‘I performed well for Inland but didn’t take that batting form into the Dolphins side but I know there are a few things that I need to adjust and I am working on those.

‘The technical stuff I can fix and I understand my game well enough to know that I can get back to scoring runs.’

Mosehle is one of a handful of cricketers on the local scene who has played over one hundred games across all three formats of the game and for a player with that experience he is hoping that he can streamline his game in the new season.

‘I felt that when I went out to bat for the Dolphins I would bat within myself and I know that is not my game,’ he explained.

‘It was probably a case of putting too much pressure on myself because I wanted to perform well, but I know that I play better when I am more relaxed, but not reckless.

‘When I was playing for Inland, Ahmed Amla reminded me of how I played at the start of my career and I went on and scored a hundred the next game, so I just need to find the balance.’

Mosehle’s glove work is renowned and he played a vital role in the Dolphins’ four-day cricket resurgence at the beginning of the year. It’s something that he continues to work on despite all his experience.

‘For a keeper, I think that you do the hard yards early in your career and learn your game early so that when mistakes happen you know where they stem from. I have a good understanding of my keeping but I continually try to improve,’ he added.

Since coming into the Dolphins set-up Mosehle has seen how the Durban franchise goes about its business and it is different to anything he has experienced but says enjoys the unique approach.

‘The approach to training and preparation is slightly different here but there is still a massive focus on hard work. The care factor is high in the group and Immy [Khan] has instilled a fight in the team that might have been missing previously. We have a great bunch of guys and I am happy here because I have always had a soft spot for Durban,’ Mosehle concluded.

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