Cobras out to secure first Sunfoil Series victory

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Cricket365
February 14, 2018

Ominous form. That would be the appropriate phrase to describe the performance of the Cobras in the first match of the second round of Sunfoil Series against the Titans last week.

But ominous form and individual brilliance must be converted into 20 wickets per game for the next four Sunfoil Series clashes.

Ashwell Prince makes no bones about the performance in Benoni and the quality available for the Sunfoil Series match against the Highveld Lions at Boland Park starting on Thursday.

“I think if it was boxing match, it would have been stopped,” he said about the performance against the Titans.

“I have no doubt that if we were not denied by bad light, we would have won that game.”

Probed about the strength of the Lions, Prince says they will be missing Aaron Phangiso and Reeza Hendricks to call-ups to the South African T20 squad, while Dwaine Pretorius is also not available.

Yet, those call-ups create opportunities for younger players eager to please and to throw their hats into the franchise arena.

The hosts will be without Vernon Philander, who had a cortisone injection into his ankle two weeks ago. Yet, in the build-up to the match against the Lions he has not had sufficient time in the nets to be selected for the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras.

Dane Paterson was justly rewarded for his excellence in the RAM SLAM T20 Challenge with a call-up to the South African T20 squad.

Prince feels upbeat about the form of his fast bowlers.

Lizaad Williams was excellent in Benoni. The 19-year old fast bowler Michael Cohen has nipped out 17 wickets in five three-day games for Western Province despite having indifferent spells and being dropped once. And in his second match for the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras, he nipped out 5-107.

There is general consensus that he is a fast bowler who can capture wickets with his pace, the skiddy nature of his bouncers and his ability to swing the ball late. If managed cleverly and unleashed at the moment critique, he can run through any team.

Prince was not extremely pleased with the batting in Benoni.

He said ideally he would have liked to see two batsmen score centuries, as this is a global trend if you want to score 550 in a first innings.

There were enough double figures scored, but a few batsmen did not convert like Pieter Malan.

Malan, in his individual post mortem report on the match, said the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras have a realistic chance for Sunfoil Series trophy success if they can win three of their last four matches.

The match at Paarl gives the World Sports Betting Cape Cobras the opportunity to make it the first win against a slightly out-of-sorts opposition.

The Cape Cobras squad is: Dane Piedt (capt), Michael Cohen, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Khomari, George Linde, Pieter Malan, Aviwe Mgijima, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Jason Smith, Stiaan van Zyl, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams