An unbeaten hundred by Sarel Erwee ensured the Warriors crashed to a fourth consecutive defeat in losing to the Dolphins by nine wickets in their Momentum One-Day Cup match at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday evening.
Having started the competition well by going unbeaten through their first five games, the Warriors have had the wind blown out of their sails and they now face the threat of possible elimination.
As a result of the bonus-point drubbing, the Dolphins have leapfrogged the Warriors into second position.
Captain Jon-Jon Smuts' team now have a nervous wait through Thursday's two other round nine matches to see how the log pans out heading into the final trio of group matches.
Those three round-robin games take place on Saturday with the Warriors facing the Cobras in Port Elizabeth and needing to win at all costs.
And that may not even be enough to make the playoffs depending on how other results turn out.
There will need to be a dramatic improvement in the Warriors' allround play before they even entertain any thoughts of beating the Cobras.
On Wednesday, they disappointed in giving away easy wickets and then followed that up by being sloppy in the field and inaccurate with the ball.
It was a pretty meek submission in the end as the Dolphins won with all of 85 balls to spare.
Set a modest 224 to win, the Dolphins openers Vaughn van Jaarsveld (83) and Sarel Erwee (105 not out) were rarely troubled amidst some loose bowling from the home team up front.
With regular fast bowlers Lutho Sipamla and Anrich Nortje on national duty, the Warriors seam attack lacked penetration and when the spinners were tried, they too were dispatched by Van Jaarsveld and Erwee.
The first-wicket partnership realised a massive 147 runs before Van Jaarsveld was dismissed by Basheer Walters for an attractive 83. He faced only 77 balls and struck 11 fours.
Erwee’s dominant, 102-ball innings included 12 fours and three sixes.
Earlier, Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts won the and opted to bat first. They got off to a decent start through Gihahn Cloete who made 27,  followed by a good innings of 76 by Smuts.
But Cloete, Eddie Moore (13) and Mo Vallie (15) all  succumbed softly after getting themselves in.
There were also three leg before wicket decisions awarded to the Dolphins spinners in the middle of the order. The three turners proved pretty effective for the visitors but it was seamer Okhule Cele who was the most successful taking three wickets for 52 runs.
Thursday’s matches see the Cobras hosting the Knights in Cape Town (1.30pm) while the Lions travel to Benoni to face the log-leading Titans (10am).