Better bowling required from Warriors
IF the Chevrolet Warriors are to start breathing life into their cricket season, they will need to produce a better effort with the ball in Durban tonight.
The Warriors face the Dolphins in a Ram Slam T20 encounter at Kingsmead this evening (6pm) needing some kind of spark to ignite a season which, so far, has produced just one victory in eight matches across the three different formats.
Conceding too many runs in the limited-overs matches has been a real source of concern.
On Sunday, in the 74-run loss to the Knights, they gave away more than 60 runs in the last three overs. Those 18 balls saw a reasonable target transform into an unlikely one in the blink of an eye.
"We came back really well in the middle with the spinners and at one stage I thought, the way it was going, we were probably going to chase about 180 which was about par for Wanderers," coach Piet Botha said yesterday.
"We just missed our lengths at the back. For anybody going for 61 in the last three overs, that changes the game completely," he said.
"Obviously, the golden rule in chasing a total like that is you can't really lose wickets in the power play. We lost two wickets in the power play – basically game over, chasing a big score like that. So it all happened at the end of the bowling innings and the start of the batting innings." Botha said the team had spoken about where they went wrong and were keen to bounce back tonight.
"There are a couple of areas we need to improve on overall in terms of assessing conditions.
"Sometimes you just take it that a T20 wicket is a T20 wicket. From ground to ground can be different. So it's about assessing conditions quickly and really executing the things we need to.
"For some of the younger players it's also a case of getting used to the occasion."
They will need to adapt quickly tonight against a Dolphins side which has a dangerous look about it.
West Indian Dwayne Bravo will play his first match for the Dolphins tonight and Botha says the Warriors will keep a close eye on him.
"He's dangerous with the bat. He knows how to finish innings and he also bowls at the death with various skills. He's is definitely someone we will have to pay careful attention to," Botha said.
By contrast, English professional Craig Kieswetter will again be key for the Warriors. He batted well against the Knights in making a half century and will be looking for help from his fellow batsmen.
"He batted well on Sunday," Botha said. "So if he can just continue and we get some support around him, things will work out. I'm sure they will."
Bowlers Basheer Walters and Rusty Theron undergo fitness tests today.
Warriors squad:
Colin Ackermann, Ryan Bailey, Andrew Birch, Aya Gqamane, Simon Harmer, Colin Ingram (capt), Christiaan Jonker, Craig Kieswetter, Sisanda Magala, Lundi Mbane, Somila Seyibokwe, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Basheer Walters. - Alvin Reeves
