It may not yet be a “win or bust” situation for the Cape Cobras, but the mountain to defend their T20 Challenge title is certainly becoming steeper with every defeat.
The loss to the Titans on Sunday at SuperSport Park in Centurion now means the Cobras have lost the same number of league matches – two – as they did during their entire campaign comprising of 10 games last season. With just one victory from three outings thus far, there certainly is a growing concern about what exactly is wrong with Paul Adams’s team.
The spate of injuries have certainly played a prominent role in the disappointing results thus far. Adams has been forced to shuffle his line-up every game due to the loss of key players, with Wayne Parnell being the latest to be sidelined on Sunday. This situation severely disrupts momentum, especially as Parnell was instrumental in closing out the tense victory over the Warriors on Friday night in Paarl.
However, due to the left-arm paceman having earlier suffered a blow to his bowling hand while fielding at Boland Park, he was unable to take the field against the Titans after the swelling increased despite there being no fracture.
Parnell’s withdrawal had a major bearing on the outcome of the tie as his death bowling skills were sorely missed. The Cobras conceded 98 runs in the final six overs in his absence, which ultimately proved the difference in the result.
“The injuries are really frustrating at the moment as we cannot build up any momentum.
“There are fresh players coming in and out every week. But saying that, we’re not making any excuses. We know we need to be sharper in our execution, especially in the field and with the ball. At the moment we’re giving away those big overs that are really hurting us and we can’t afford to do that,” Adams said yesterday.
“The guys know there is very little room to manoeuvre. It is not yet win or bust but our match against the Knights is crucial to regain some momentum. With this young side, the return of the ‘Pro’ (Kieron Pollard) from Sri Lanka also makes a difference in terms of the experience and skill he brings to the team.”
The match tomorrow in Kimberley is of utmost importance to the Cobras’ T20 challenge. The Knights, who lost last year’s final to the Cobras, have been in even worse shape than the Cape side as they are rooted to the bottom of the table after suffering two consecutive defeats.
The central franchise are still adapting to new coach Nicky Boje’s methods and have key players, like senior batsman Reeza Hendricks, struggling for form. They have thus far relied on their loan players Theunis de Bruyn and Ryan McLaren to carry the majority of the workload.
Adams, however, does not want to focus on the opposition and instead wants to focus on the positives that came from Sunday’s match. Young batsman Keegan Petersen enjoyed a promising Cobras T20 debut, scoring 27 off 25 balls (2x4, 1x6) batting in the crucial No 3 position, while Omphile Ramela showed glimpses of a return to form with 38 off 28 balls (3x6). Ramela’s improved showing is especially vital for the Cobras going forward.
“Keegan really impressed us the way he went about his business. He is still a young batsman and needs to be guided, but to come in and transfer the pressure back on to the bowlers the way he did was really encouraging,” Adams explained.
“Likewise Ompie showed a lot of intent when he came out to bat. The match situation dictated the way he needed to play, but it was great seeing Ompie strike the ball that cleanly again. It was just a pity he couldn’t go on and take it deeper.”
Adams will keep the same squad that travelled to Centurion for the Knights clash and will monitor Parnell’s progress over the next two days before making a call on the fitness of his pace spearhead shortly before the match.
COBRAS SQUAD
Justin Ontong (capt), Andrew Puttick (wk), Dane Paterson, Ferisco Adams, George F Linde, Keegan Petersen, Lesiba Ngoepe, Mthokozisi Shezi, Omphile Ramela, Richard Levi, SA Engelbrecht, Wayne Parnell, Rory Kleinveldt.
TV: SS2, Start: 6pm - Cape Times