The Chevrolet Warriors’ bid to reach the playoff stage of the Momentum One-Day Cup received a major shot in the arm late yesterday with the news that Simon Harmer will be playing this weekend.
Harmer has been released by Cricket South Africa after doing duty for SA A against England Lions and will feature in the Eastern Cape franchise’s matches this weekend.
This will come as good news to the Warriors as they enter their final two round-robin games, the first against the Titans in Centurion starting at 3pm this afternoon and the other against the Lions at Buffalo Park, in East London on Sunday at 10am.
The permutations are quite simple. They have to win both to stand any chance of qualifying for the second and third place playoff. Also, they have to hope the Dolphins come unstuck in their final two fixtures, against the Cobras in Cape Town tonight and the Titans in Durban on Sunday.
If it all goes according to plan for the Warriors tonight, it could come down to a “Super Sunday” of cricket in East London.
This weekend’s extravaganza was made possible by a superb four-wicket victory over the Knights in Kimberley, on Wednesday.
The team chased down the highest ever total to win batting second at the Diamond Oval to keep their hopes alive.
Tonight they have to achieve the same result.
“Every game is like a final to us now,” interim coach Malibongwe Maketa said yesterday.
The Warriors know they were not at their best with the ball on Wednesday and will look to remedy that tonight.
“We had a good chat after the game last night. We know we could have bowled a bit better. I think Rusty bowled very nicely at the back end. We just bowled a few too many boundary balls. There was not enough pressure being built. We missed our yorkers at the back and we were lucky to have the experience of Rusty to keep pulling it back which helped keep us in it all the time,” said Maketa.
Having said that, the Warriors mentor was thrilled with the way his team responded with the bat as captain Colin Ingram fell just short of a hundred and Christiaan Jonker smashed a quickfire unbeaten half-century to headline the act.
“It was a great game to win and keeps us in the hunt. It’s good to still be in it with two games to go. There is something to play for. Colin hasn’t been hitting the ball as well as what he can but he’s led from the front as a captain.
He’s played some gutsy innings for us. He has a pure, pure will for us to win now and I’m very pleased for him.”
Maketa expects the Titans to come hard at them on home soil.
“We expect the very strongest Titans side out. They have just about qualified for the knockouts and I think they will use this game to play their strongest team to get ready for the semifinal. I’m sure their SA A players will be in contention for selection. We looking forward to that challenge.”
The squad is: Colin Ackermann, Ryan Bailey, Andrew Birch, Darryl Brown, Aya Gqamane, Colin Ingram (capt), Christiaan Jonker, Sisanda Magala, Lundi Mbane, Michael Price, Somila Seyibokwe, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Basheer Walters, Simon Harmer
Warriors can shoot for stars
Harmer has been released by Cricket South Africa after doing duty for SA A against England Lions and will feature in the Eastern Cape franchise’s matches this weekend.
This will come as good news to the Warriors as they enter their final two round-robin games, the first against the Titans in Centurion starting at 3pm this afternoon and the other against the Lions at Buffalo Park, in East London on Sunday at 10am.
The permutations are quite simple. They have to win both to stand any chance of qualifying for the second and third place playoff. Also, they have to hope the Dolphins come unstuck in their final two fixtures, against the Cobras in Cape Town tonight and the Titans in Durban on Sunday.
If it all goes according to plan for the Warriors tonight, it could come down to a “Super Sunday” of cricket in East London.
This weekend’s extravaganza was made possible by a superb four-wicket victory over the Knights in Kimberley, on Wednesday.
The team chased down the highest ever total to win batting second at the Diamond Oval to keep their hopes alive.
Tonight they have to achieve the same result.
“Every game is like a final to us now,” interim coach Malibongwe Maketa said yesterday.
The Warriors know they were not at their best with the ball on Wednesday and will look to remedy that tonight.
“We had a good chat after the game last night. We know we could have bowled a bit better. I think Rusty bowled very nicely at the back end. We just bowled a few too many boundary balls. There was not enough pressure being built. We missed our yorkers at the back and we were lucky to have the experience of Rusty to keep pulling it back which helped keep us in it all the time,” said Maketa.
Having said that, the Warriors mentor was thrilled with the way his team responded with the bat as captain Colin Ingram fell just short of a hundred and Christiaan Jonker smashed a quickfire unbeaten half-century to headline the act.
“It was a great game to win and keeps us in the hunt. It’s good to still be in it with two games to go. There is something to play for. Colin hasn’t been hitting the ball as well as what he can but he’s led from the front as a captain.
He’s played some gutsy innings for us. He has a pure, pure will for us to win now and I’m very pleased for him.”
Maketa expects the Titans to come hard at them on home soil.
“We expect the very strongest Titans side out. They have just about qualified for the knockouts and I think they will use this game to play their strongest team to get ready for the semifinal. I’m sure their SA A players will be in contention for selection. We looking forward to that challenge.”
The squad is: Colin Ackermann, Ryan Bailey, Andrew Birch, Darryl Brown, Aya Gqamane, Colin Ingram (capt), Christiaan Jonker, Sisanda Magala, Lundi Mbane, Michael Price, Somila Seyibokwe, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Basheer Walters, Simon Harmer
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