Eastern Province coach Piet Botha reiterated his side’s need to take each session as it comes when they take on the Free State in Bloemfontein on Thursday.
Having come back from a short hiatus, Botha believes the team should not let complacency creep in as they push for a spot in the CSA 3-Day Provincial Challenge spot final taking place in a few weeks time.
“We have really put some extra effort in and have worked hard, so I am full of confidence that the guys have prepared well for this match,” he explained.
Botha said it would be important not to look too far ahead, but rather focus on small goals that are within their control.
“The important thing for us is to continue playing as we have been throughout the season, taking it session by session, because that is the only thing you can control.
“If we start looking at the bigger picture, you only invite distractions, so I think our focus is to make sure we try to control what we can and win the small battles, and in so doing, the outcome will look after itself,” Botha added.
With only one game left for his charges after the Free State clash, Botha said while the significance of the result would affect log position, it was something that they did not dwell on too much.
“The result will have an impact on the log, but it's something that is way back in our minds, because you cannot play the game while thinking about future results, even though every result is vitally important. But we still have to bowl each ball and play the game, that’s what is important,” he said.
While the Free State side could a banana skin for EP, Botha said his main focus was the brand of cricket he wanted his side to play and did not focus too much on what their opponents were conjuring up.
“Sometimes one can go too deep into how you want to tackle the opposition. For us, it's about executing basic plans well.
“I think we have been very consistent in terms of our line and length with the ball, as well as building good partnerships in the first innings from a batting point of view, so I think if you can do that, it puts pressure on the opposition, which is vitally important,” Botha added.
Apart from the injury absence of Kelly Smuts, Botha said Glenton Stuurman will not be part of the squad after he received a call up to the Warriors side for their match against the Dolphins at St Georges on Wednesday.
He added that a few new faces will also be part of the travelling group with David Masterson, Keenan Vieira and Tiaan van Vuuren receiving call ups to the squad.
Eastern Province squad to face Free State:
Luvuyo Adam, Matthew Christensen, Clyde Fortuin, Siviwe Gidana, David Masterson, Solo Nqweni, Tian Koekemoer, Nelson Setimane, Kenan Smith, Keenan Vieira, Tiaan Van Vuuren, Josh Van Heerden, Henco Vorstman.