Top class cricket action is coming to a close on the Border as the Chevrolet Warriors prepare for their last home game of the season at Buffalo Park, starting tomorrow.
The Eastern Cape's Premier team will be up against the Chevrolet Knights in the second-last game of their Sunfoil Series campaign.
The Warriors are effectively out of the running to finish top of the Sunfoil Series log, so these last two matches will be all about building on the good work they have done since the change of coach in early December sparked a turn-around in fortunes for the team.
“Our biggest goal for these last few matches is to make sure that we finish off the season strongly, where in the past we have tapered off in the last few games,” said Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa.
“So our biggest challenge is to extend ourselves and make sure we finish well.”
Since Maketa took over the reins from Piet Botha, first on an interim basis before he was appointed head coach a few weeks ago, the Warriors have picked up three draws, two wins and one loss in the Sunfoil Series, while also winning four and losing one of their Momentum One Day Cup matches.
However, the Warriors’ last two performances have been battling draws and they will want to rectify that in this week’s match.
Two weeks ago in East London the Warriors managed to sneak a draw after the Lions were done in by time and bad light, while last week it took a top Warriors second innings batting effort to seal a draw after their poor first innings and a massive Cobras batting effort had left them with a lot to do.
“I thought we did pretty well in the Cobras match,” said Maketa.
“We could have batted better in the first innings, but in saying that I feel mentally we have come a long way as we played very well the rest of the match. I was very impressed with how we went about the remainder of the match and it proved our mental toughness has improved.”
In the final two matches the Warriors will also know two good wins could see them end in a very respectable position on the log when, after their opening two games of the season ended in big defeats, that seemed a long way off.
Currently the Warriors occupy fourth place on the log, 21 points behind the third placed Titans and just one point ahead of the Knights and three ahead of the bottom-of-the-table Cobras.
Thus a bad final two matches could see them finish bottom, while a good two matches could see them catch the Titans, if other matches go their way.
“We enjoy playing in East London and most teams seem to be wary of coming to play us here so I am hoping for a very good match,” said Maketa.
Warriors plan to finish well
The Eastern Cape's Premier team will be up against the Chevrolet Knights in the second-last game of their Sunfoil Series campaign.
The Warriors are effectively out of the running to finish top of the Sunfoil Series log, so these last two matches will be all about building on the good work they have done since the change of coach in early December sparked a turn-around in fortunes for the team.
“Our biggest goal for these last few matches is to make sure that we finish off the season strongly, where in the past we have tapered off in the last few games,” said Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa.
“So our biggest challenge is to extend ourselves and make sure we finish well.”
Since Maketa took over the reins from Piet Botha, first on an interim basis before he was appointed head coach a few weeks ago, the Warriors have picked up three draws, two wins and one loss in the Sunfoil Series, while also winning four and losing one of their Momentum One Day Cup matches.
However, the Warriors’ last two performances have been battling draws and they will want to rectify that in this week’s match.
Two weeks ago in East London the Warriors managed to sneak a draw after the Lions were done in by time and bad light, while last week it took a top Warriors second innings batting effort to seal a draw after their poor first innings and a massive Cobras batting effort had left them with a lot to do.
“I thought we did pretty well in the Cobras match,” said Maketa.
“We could have batted better in the first innings, but in saying that I feel mentally we have come a long way as we played very well the rest of the match. I was very impressed with how we went about the remainder of the match and it proved our mental toughness has improved.”
In the final two matches the Warriors will also know two good wins could see them end in a very respectable position on the log when, after their opening two games of the season ended in big defeats, that seemed a long way off.
Currently the Warriors occupy fourth place on the log, 21 points behind the third placed Titans and just one point ahead of the Knights and three ahead of the bottom-of-the-table Cobras.
Thus a bad final two matches could see them finish bottom, while a good two matches could see them catch the Titans, if other matches go their way.
“We enjoy playing in East London and most teams seem to be wary of coming to play us here so I am hoping for a very good match,” said Maketa.
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