Captain Khaya Zondo has heavily criticised umpires Shaun George and Adrian Holdstock, after the Dolphins lost Sunday’s One-Day Cup final to the Titans by 135 runs at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

A fine century from middle-order batsman Aiden Markram pushed the Titans to a final total of 356 for five, after which the Dolphins were limited to 221 all out.

Both innings were lined with dubious decisions by the on-field officials. Zondo and all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo, for example, were given out lbw despite inside edges. The Titans top-order batsmen, meanwhile, survived some tight lbw appeals.

‘There were 22 very good cricketers out there, but I think the umpires ruined the final for us,’ Zondo was quoted as saying by the Citizen.

‘Against good teams, you’ve got to get their top-order batsmen out early and you can’t afford to have to get them out twice each, especially if three of your batsmen are then given out when they shouldn’t have been out. I don’t mind losing, but it’s about how you lose.

‘Their batsmen played the situation well, but if two of those decisions had gone our way then they would have been under pressure, and who knows what would have happened. Basically we had six bad decisions against us.’

Markram was named Man of the Match on the back of an entertaining 127, which spanned 88 deliveries – and featured five fours and eight sixes.

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