Border assistant coach Lundi Mbane will be taking up the reins for semi-professional cricket team’s final games of the season starting off against Western Province in Cape Town from Thursday.
Mbane will be in charge of the team on an interim basis as head coach Frank Plaatjes is on compassionate leave after his father died.
Mbane will thus have a baptism of fire as he takes charge of the team for the first time against tough opposition in Cape Town.
“I am looking forward to the challenge of coaching the team for the first time, and I am very excited to get this chance,” said Mbane.
“The chance has come due to very unfortunate circumstances, but I will do my best for the team over the two matches.”
Two debutants are in line to make their first starts for Border in either the three-day or one-day match against the hosts over the next four days.
Siphamandla Krweqe and Willows bowler Siphamandla Krweqe and Bohs batsman Jonty Crayney have both impressed selectors with their recent form and will get a chance to show what they can do in the coming games.
“It is a great opportunity for the youngsters. They deserve this chance to come in and impress. They have been doing well for their clubs and I think they have what it takes to move up to the next level,” said Mbane.
“We have a number of senior players like Mkhululi Calana, who has been in really good form, and Basheer Walters and Phaphama Fojela, who can also help and guide the new guys and make it easier for them coming into the team.”
It has not been a great season for Border, with much of the focus being on rebuilding after losing a host of senior players over the last few years, and this has seen them only pick up one win so far, in a three-day match against South Western Districts, earlier this season.
However, the team has in recent matches shown good improvement and claimed a couple of morale-boosting draws, including against the Lions in their last outing, and they will hope to take that momentum into their final matches to try and finish their season on a high.
“The guys are really fired up. They have struggled over most of the season, but in the last few games they have really been coming together and getting closer to that perfect team performance,” said Mbane.
“So training has been good. The guys know what they need to do and what they want to achieve, and they head into the Western Province match with a lot of confidence.”
Border take on Western Province in their three-day match starting on Thursday at 10am at Newlands, before moving to Western Province Cricket Club for the one-day match on Sunday from 9.30am.
Border squad is:
Mncedisi Malika, Jonty Crayney, Mkhululi Calana (capt), Jason Niemand, Bradley Williams, Malwande Zamo, Somila Seyibokwe, Kyle Jacobs, Josh Dodd, Lizo Makosi, Basheer Walters, Siphamandla Krweqe, Phaphama Fojela..