Tomorrow's Momentum One-Day Cup match between the Warriors and the champions, the Multiply Titans, at Buffalo Park is without doubt the most important game for the Eastern Cape franchise this season.
Coached by former East Londoner Mark Boucher, a victory over the Titans will help materially for the Warriors to enter the final four for the play-offs which are scheduled for the end of January.
Another loss, like the one they suffered against the Highveld Lions on Thursday despite scoring over 300 runs, could relegate the Warriors to “also rans”.
Last season they were good enough to reach the final of the competition, only to see the wheels fall off when they faced the Titans at SuperSport Park, Centurion.
The Titans motored to a new franchise record of 425/5 in their 50 overs, with internationals Aiden Markram, 161, and Henry Davids, 114, making centuries while adding a record 212 for the first wicket, and the Warriors lost by a mammoth 236 runs. All the players returned home severely chastened and with their tails firmly between their legs.
The Titans’ Test stars, AB de Villiers, Markram, Lungi Ngidi and Chris Morris will not be in action tomorrow, but their replacements are more than adequate to maintain the Titans’ competitiveness. Two bowlers to watch tomorrow are left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi and medium-pacer Junior Dala.
It is always exciting and there’s usually a ripple of comments whenever Shamsi comes on to bowl.
He has the ability to completely fox the batsman into playing down the wrong line and the bulk of his victims are either bowled or are trapped leg before wicket. Dala is improving with each outing and must be in the national selectors’ thoughts. He is likely to be the visiting paceman to watch.
The Warriors, who have scored over 300 runs in their last two matches – 335/9 against the Knights and 306/6 on Thursday – must realise that to win their matches, big scores mean nothing unless 10 opposition wickets are captured. Unfortunately at present the bowling attack appears to lack some “bite”.
Part of the reason for this problem is that a last-minute injury to Warriors fast bowler Sisanda Malaga shortly before the teams went onto the field resulted in the capping of new boy, the inexperienced Sithembile Langa, a medium-pacer, who bowled well at times, picking up 3/50 off seven overs, but often looked innocuous, and the Lions batsmen picked him off for some easy runs.
However, Warriors skipper Jon-Jon Smuts is always positive, as is caretaker coach Rivash Gobind, and they will seek revenge after the Titans won their first clash a week ago. Hopefully Gobind will give middle-order batsman, Border’s Marco Marais another chance tomorrow.
He scored 41 on his debut in Kimberley and hit a six on Thursday in a regrettably short innings.
If the hard-hitting Christiaan Jonker, who scored 51 not out, and Marais at numbers five and six can get going, another 300-plus total is surely on the cards.
The match starts at 10am.
Warriors have to win: Clash against Titans at home a vital moment
Coached by former East Londoner Mark Boucher, a victory over the Titans will help materially for the Warriors to enter the final four for the play-offs which are scheduled for the end of January.
Another loss, like the one they suffered against the Highveld Lions on Thursday despite scoring over 300 runs, could relegate the Warriors to “also rans”.
Last season they were good enough to reach the final of the competition, only to see the wheels fall off when they faced the Titans at SuperSport Park, Centurion.
The Titans motored to a new franchise record of 425/5 in their 50 overs, with internationals Aiden Markram, 161, and Henry Davids, 114, making centuries while adding a record 212 for the first wicket, and the Warriors lost by a mammoth 236 runs. All the players returned home severely chastened and with their tails firmly between their legs.
The Titans’ Test stars, AB de Villiers, Markram, Lungi Ngidi and Chris Morris will not be in action tomorrow, but their replacements are more than adequate to maintain the Titans’ competitiveness. Two bowlers to watch tomorrow are left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi and medium-pacer Junior Dala.
It is always exciting and there’s usually a ripple of comments whenever Shamsi comes on to bowl.
He has the ability to completely fox the batsman into playing down the wrong line and the bulk of his victims are either bowled or are trapped leg before wicket. Dala is improving with each outing and must be in the national selectors’ thoughts. He is likely to be the visiting paceman to watch.
The Warriors, who have scored over 300 runs in their last two matches – 335/9 against the Knights and 306/6 on Thursday – must realise that to win their matches, big scores mean nothing unless 10 opposition wickets are captured. Unfortunately at present the bowling attack appears to lack some “bite”.
Part of the reason for this problem is that a last-minute injury to Warriors fast bowler Sisanda Malaga shortly before the teams went onto the field resulted in the capping of new boy, the inexperienced Sithembile Langa, a medium-pacer, who bowled well at times, picking up 3/50 off seven overs, but often looked innocuous, and the Lions batsmen picked him off for some easy runs.
However, Warriors skipper Jon-Jon Smuts is always positive, as is caretaker coach Rivash Gobind, and they will seek revenge after the Titans won their first clash a week ago. Hopefully Gobind will give middle-order batsman, Border’s Marco Marais another chance tomorrow.
He scored 41 on his debut in Kimberley and hit a six on Thursday in a regrettably short innings.
If the hard-hitting Christiaan Jonker, who scored 51 not out, and Marais at numbers five and six can get going, another 300-plus total is surely on the cards.
The match starts at 10am.
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