Cape Town - Outstanding bowling by Prenelan Subrayen and Daryn Dupavillon helped the Dolphins make a positive start to the CSA T20 Challenge campaign with a comfortable four-wicket victory over the Knights in Durban on Saturday.

The pair shared five wickets between them and conceded only 30 runs in eight overs as the hosts restricted the visitors to 133 for eight at Kingsmead.

Marques Ackerman then batted with a level head on his way to 44 not out from 36 balls to help his side reach their target with nine deliveries to spare.

It completed a comfortable win for the KwaZulu-Natal side and helped them bounce back well following their One-Day Cup final disappointment last weekend - they were crushed by the Titans in that match.

In their 20-over season opener, the Dolphins won the toss and opted to bowl first with Aubrey Swanepoel (31) and Patrick Kruger (13) giving them plenty to think about during an opening stand of 46 in 4.4 overs, including one that went for 25 by Lwandiswa Zuma (1/35).

But from there, it went south on the east coast for the Knights as Subrayen and Dupavillon demolished them.

The former ran through the middle order on his way to three for 15 in four overs, before the latter strangled the lower order with his one for 15 in the same ration of overs.

The Central side plummeted from 46 for none to 81 for six and needed a 45-run seventh-wicket partnership between Grant Mokoena (25) and Shadley van Schalkwyk (21) to get them to a decent total.

They then needed early wickets to have any chance, but that failed to happen as Sarel Erwee (28) and Morne van Wyk (17) gave the Dolphins a solid enough start of 39 for the first wicket.

Even though Van Schalkwyk (2/23) did his best to try and jolt their progress - they fell to 68 for four at one point - Ackerman and Sibonelo Makhanya (17) settled nerves with a partnership of 43 that was enough to get them close.

Eathan Bosch (12 off three balls) then finished the job as the home side started their campaign on the right foot.