Four-day cricket returns as the Warriors take on the Dolphins in what should be an exciting Sunfoil Series clash at Buffalo Park starting today.
It will be the final Warriors match of the season at the ground and the team will be eager to get as much as they can from the match on a ground that has served them well over the years.
The Eastern Cape top cricket side Chevrolet Warriors will be looking to slay the Dolphins when the two meet today at Buffalo Park Cricket stadium which has become a happy hunting ground for the Warriors. Picture: STEPHANIE LLOYD
The Warriors will however, have to make do without their captain and consistent top performer Colin Ingram after he was ruled out of the match with a back injury.
“Colin has a back problem, we are managing it and hope he will be back soon,” said Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa.
There will be some excitement at the inclusion of Border star Thandolwethu Mnyaka who has been rewarded for consistent performances and makes a long-awaited return to the Warriors set-up.
Mnyaka’s one and only game for the Warriors came on April 3 2014 in the four-day match against the Titans and despite taking three wickets in the match in a losing cause, has not been seen since.
So it will be a great chance for him to impress.
“It is that time of the season when we give the young players a chance, especially the ones who have been performing well consistently and Thandolwethu is definitely one of them,” said Maketa.
Other Border stars Jerry Nqolo and Aya Gqamane will also be involved in the match and Nqolo will in particular be keen to impress after his last match for the Warriors saw him score a career best 63.
A lot will also rest on captain for the match Simon Harmer and form players Jon-Jon Smuts, Colin Ackermann and Andrew Birch.
With the Warriors bottom of the log without a win in the competition yet and the Dolphins in fourth, but going through a change of coach, both teams will be eager to claim a win that should settle them and set them up well for the final four matches of the season.
“Every game we go into we want to win,” said Maketa.
“We did not play well in the first half of the Sunfoil Series, so we must improve and finish the season well. The Dolphins are a very good team and I am expecting a good battle and hopefully we will come out on top.
“We are looking to take the final matches of the season game by game and we have broken it down into 20 days of cricket, and we need to win most of those days if we are to end on a positive note.”
Today's match gets under way at 10am.
Warriors team is: Jon-Jon Smuts, Michael Price, Colin Ackermann, Yaseen Vallie, Gihahn Cloete, Jerry Nqolo, Simon Harmer (c), Andrew Birch, Aya Gqamane, Tandolwethu Mnyaka, Basheer Walters.
Warriors eager for big push
It will be the final Warriors match of the season at the ground and the team will be eager to get as much as they can from the match on a ground that has served them well over the years.
The Eastern Cape top cricket side Chevrolet Warriors will be looking to slay the Dolphins when the two meet today at Buffalo Park Cricket stadium which has become a happy hunting ground for the Warriors. Picture: STEPHANIE LLOYD
The Warriors will however, have to make do without their captain and consistent top performer Colin Ingram after he was ruled out of the match with a back injury.
“Colin has a back problem, we are managing it and hope he will be back soon,” said Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa.
There will be some excitement at the inclusion of Border star Thandolwethu Mnyaka who has been rewarded for consistent performances and makes a long-awaited return to the Warriors set-up.
Mnyaka’s one and only game for the Warriors came on April 3 2014 in the four-day match against the Titans and despite taking three wickets in the match in a losing cause, has not been seen since.
So it will be a great chance for him to impress.
“It is that time of the season when we give the young players a chance, especially the ones who have been performing well consistently and Thandolwethu is definitely one of them,” said Maketa.
Other Border stars Jerry Nqolo and Aya Gqamane will also be involved in the match and Nqolo will in particular be keen to impress after his last match for the Warriors saw him score a career best 63.
A lot will also rest on captain for the match Simon Harmer and form players Jon-Jon Smuts, Colin Ackermann and Andrew Birch.
With the Warriors bottom of the log without a win in the competition yet and the Dolphins in fourth, but going through a change of coach, both teams will be eager to claim a win that should settle them and set them up well for the final four matches of the season.
“Every game we go into we want to win,” said Maketa.
“We did not play well in the first half of the Sunfoil Series, so we must improve and finish the season well. The Dolphins are a very good team and I am expecting a good battle and hopefully we will come out on top.
“We are looking to take the final matches of the season game by game and we have broken it down into 20 days of cricket, and we need to win most of those days if we are to end on a positive note.”
Today's match gets under way at 10am.
Warriors team is: Jon-Jon Smuts, Michael Price, Colin Ackermann, Yaseen Vallie, Gihahn Cloete, Jerry Nqolo, Simon Harmer (c), Andrew Birch, Aya Gqamane, Tandolwethu Mnyaka, Basheer Walters.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos