Resurgent Warriors chasing down silverware

[caption id="attachment_67738" align="alignright" width="263"] COLIN INGRAM -[/caption]

The South African cricket community will have sat up and taken note of just how close the Chevrolet Warriors came to pulling off the impossible over the past two weeks.

Dead and buried at the bottom of the table with only one win from their first five matches of the competition last year, not many would have given the Eastern Cape franchise a sniff of challenging for a spot in the playoffs.

Yet, in the space of eight days the Warriors won four of their five matches, with their only loss coming against the Cobras in the final over of the match. That is the unpredictable nature of sport.

Having pulled off the highest ever run-chase in South African domestic one-day cricket on Friday, on Sunday the Warriors managed to chase down a target of 286 in less than 40 overs which drew them level on the log with the Titans. Unfortunately, net run rate cost them a spot in the playoff and one could almost hear the opposition sighs of relief.

“I think most teams would have been nervous to play us in a playoff match. There are a few relieved teams out there,” Warriors captain Colin Ingram said yesterday. “All credit has to go to Malibongwe [Maketa] as well, he has really freed guys up and put in a few structural things that have really worked.”

-Alvin Reeves