Tag: Colin Ackermann

Text Info Strip

Back

SACA Celebrates Tony Irish on Receiving the Prestigious Tim May Medal of Honour

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) is proud to celebrate its founder and former CEO, Tony Irish, who received the…

Read More

Kyle Simmonds Crowned Overall Division 1 SACA MVP

The 2025/26 domestic cricket season concludes with Western Province all-rounder Kyle Simmonds named Division 1 Overall SACA MVP. Simmonds earned…

Read More

Liam Alder Named Overall SACA MVP for Domestic Division 2

Following the completion of all domestic fixtures, Liam Alder of the Garden Route Badgers finished at the top of the…

Read More

MORRIS TON CAN’T STOP WARRIORS FROM GOING TOP

An outstanding rearguard century by Chris Morris was not enough to deny the Warriors as two late wickets by Jon-Jon Smuts sealed a dramatic 77-run Sunfoil Series win over the Multiply Titans at Buffalo Park in East London late on Sunday.

The Standard Bank Proteas all-rounder made 113 (184 balls, 20 fours), his maiden franchise cricket ton, as the visitors were bowled out for 248 – chasing 329 – deep into the final day.

Morris was bowled from the penultimate delivery of the fourth added over after the mandatory 15 final-hour overs had elapsed, with Tabraiz Shamsi (0) then bowled next ball as Smuts ended with three for 54 to fire his side top of the competition table.

Prior to Morris’ dismissal, the Titans looked set to seal a dramatic draw after battling their way back from 110 for seven shortly before tea.

It was one-way traffic before that in favour of the home side with Tladi Bokako (4/43) and Simon Harmer (3/89) weaving through the top order.

But Malusi Siboto (43) helped Morris add 79 for the eighth wicket and Junior Dala batted for 57 deliveries for his five, before the visitors finally caved.

Earlier, Colin Ackermann went on to record his 14th career century as the Warriors declared on 256 for five.

The right-hander smashed an unbeaten 125 (157 balls, 7 fours, 3 sixes) and put on 169 for the second wicket with Eddie Moore (76 off 179 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) to ensure the hosts gave themselves a victory chance.

Tabraiz Shamsi took an impressive five for 90, but it was not enough as the Titans slipped to a first loss of the season – one that saw them drop from first to fourth with two rounds of 2017/18 remaining.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

DE KOCK TURNS IN ANOTHER FIVE-STAR PERFORMANCE

Quinton de Kock  matched the previous performances of superstars Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers when he was named South African Cricketer of the Year and in all received a total of five awards at a glittering Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards function in Kyalami on Saturday evening.

Only Kagiso Rababa has done better with his six CSA awards last year. The other nine players to have received CSA’s most prestigious award are Jacques Kallis (2004 and 2011), Makhaya Ntini (2005 and 2006), Hashim Amla (2010 and 2013) and AB de Villiers (2014 and 2015) who have all won the award twice with the other previous winners being Shaun Pollock (2007), Dale Steyn (2008), Graeme Smith (2009), Vernon Philander (2012) and Rabada (2016).

In addition to the main award, De Kock was named Standard Bank Test Cricketer of the Year and Standard Bank ODI Cricketer of the Year, was honoured by his peers by being named SA Players’ Player of the Year and by the fans on being named SA Fans Player of the Year.

De Kock did, in fact, receive a sixth award which was for being named the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year.

His statistics for the year were remarkable, highlighted by his ODI innings of 178 against Australia in a series that saw him score 300 runs at an average of exactly 60 and a strike rate in excess of 137. His Test match performances were notable for his ability to score big runs when needed and to take the game away from the opposition.

In addition, the quality of his glove work was brilliant.

The only awards he did not win for which he was eligible were the Standard Bank T20 International Player of the Year award that went to Imran Tahir for the second year in a row and the KFC Award of Excellence that went to Temba Bavuma, again for the second successive year, for his brilliant run out of David Warner.

De Kock obviously was not a contender for RAM Delivery of the Year and that again went to Kagiso Rabada for his delivery that bowled Usman Khawaja at Perth.

Sune Luus was named SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year while Lizelle Lee was named SA Women’s Players Player of the Year.

The International Newcomer of the Year awards went to Keshav Maharaj and Laura Wolvaardt.

“Simply outstanding! What a year Quinton has had,” commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat. “He has shown the maturity of a seasoned campaigner with performances that have really counted when needed most, often blowing away the opposition in the process.

“It is encouraging that for the second time in a row our premier award has gone to one of our young stars who are shining with distinction alongside our world-class senior players.

“The way the Proteas have come through to rise up the ICC rankings in meteoric fashion has been quite brilliant and we now have a real team in the true sense of the word.

“Our domestic cricket remains blessed with great talents and congratulations to all the winners in those categories as well.

“I warmly congratulate all our winners, both at the international and domestic level, and I also wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge our umpires, grounds staff and scorers, too.”

The Multiply Titans were once again the biggest winners in the Professional Awards: Domestic category. Duanne Olivier of the VKB Knights was named Sunfoil Series Cricketer of the Year but for the rest it was the Titans nearly all the way well with Mark Boucher being named Pitchvision Coach of the Year, Farhaan Behardien CSA T20 Challenge Player of the Year, Henry Davids Momentum One-day Cup Cricketer of the Year, and Aiden Markram Domestic Newcomer of the Year. In addition, the Titans won the CSA Fair Play Award.

Colin Ackermann of the Warriors did the double of Domestic Players Player of the season and the SACA Most Valuable Player award.

Shaun George was named both CSA Umpire of the Year and CSA Umpires Umpire of the Year while there was a proud moment when Marais Erasmus received the David Shepherd Trophy as the ICC Umpire of the Year.

The Africa Cup T20 Player of the tournament went to Patrick Kruger of Northern Cape while PPC Newlands-based Evan Flint was named groundsman of the year

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

SACA CONGRATULATES SACA MVP 2016/17 WINNERS

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) today congratulated Warriors all-rounder, Colin Ackermann, on winning the SACA Most Valuable Player (MVP) title in franchise cricket for his performances over the three domestic competitions in the 2016/17 season. Ackermann finished on a total of 435, 207 points.

The SACA MVP domestic rankings lists the top performing franchise players competing in CSA’s domestic competitions. Players earn points, based on an internationally recognised formula used by several players’ associations around the world, for batting, bowling, fielding and for contribution to matches won by their team. Points are weighted across the different formats to ensure that critical performances in each match earn a player the appropriate number of points.

The overall SACA MVP Rankings combine a players’ performance in all three domestic competitions and are an indicator of consistency of performance through the season. Performances in a particular competition are also recognised in the SACA MVP Rankings relating to each of the Sunfoil Series (four days), Momentum One-Day Cup (50 overs) and CSA T20 Challenge (20 overs) competitions.

Following a very good start to the season, Ackermann’s consistency with both bat and ball earned the Warriors all-rounder a total of 1431 runs and 16 wickets in all competitions. Ackermann took the overall SACA MVP title, 34.129 points ahead of VKB Knights paceman Marchant de Lange, who finished second, with Robbie Frylinck from the Hollywoodbets Dolphins rounding out the top three.

“The SACA MVP is something all of us franchise cricketers strive to win because it measures every aspect of the game across the three domestic competitions. It is recognised by players as a measure of consistency throughout the season. I’m proud to have won this award but must also give some credit to my Warriors teammates in helping me to do it” said Ackermann.

The SACA MVP rankings also focus on performances in each particular competition. VKB Knights opening bowler Duanne Olivier, clinched the top spot in the four-day Sunfoil Series rankings, finishing with 52 wickets in 8 matches. Simon Harmer and Marchant de Lange finished in second and third respectively on the Sunfoil rankings.

Jon-Jon Smuts was a runaway winner of the Momentum One-Day Cup rankings. The all-rounder scored 581 runs at an average of 52.81, and picked up 14 wickets in the competition. Multiply Titans openers Aiden Markram and Henry Davids both enjoyed very successful campaigns and ended in 2nd and 3rd place on the Momentum rankings respectively.

Smuts (169.616), finished 36.053 points ahead of 2nd placed Colin Ackermann, and 41.794 points ahead of 3rd placed Hardus Viljoen in the CSA T20 Challenge Rankings. Smuts finished as the leading run-scorer in the competition scoring 371 runs in 11 matches.

“I’d like to congratulate Colin on winning the overall SACA MVP,” said SACA chief executive, Tony Irish. “To achieve the top spot a player has to perform for his franchise pretty much week in and week out throughout the season and he has done exactly that.”

“I would also like to congratulate Jon-Jon and Duanne for leading the way in each of the domestic competitions. There were some pretty impressive individual performances from a number of players this season. Henry Davids’ 673 runs (8 matches) in the Momentum One-Day Cup and Duanne Olivier’s 52 wickets (8 matches) in the Sunfoil Series deserve special mention. Well done also to the entire Titans squad for winning the Momentum One-Day Cup and the CSA T20 Challenge and to the Knights squad for taking the Sunfoil Series.”

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

BIRCH AND SMUTS SET UP WARRIORS WIN

Andrew Birch conceded only four runs to clinch a final-over finish for Warriors against VBK Knights at St. George’s Park, where JJ Smuts scored his second consecutive century in the Momentum one Day Cup.

Needing 11 off the last over while chasing 285, with Aubrey Swanepoel on strike on 73, Birch denied theM Knights any run off his first delivery. Three singles off the next three balls brought the equation down to eight off two. Seeing a fullish fourth delivery from Birch, No. 9 Marchant de Lange heled out to long-on, effectively securing the win for Warriors, as Swanepoel only managed to squeeze a single off the last ball, with Knights ending on 278 or 8.

Birch, who finished with 3 for 45, had earlier accounted for opener Rudi Second in the second over of the Knights innings, and bowled David Miller for 18 in the tenth, reducing the opposition to 48 for 4. Captain Pite van Biljon then resuscitated the innings with a 104-ball 84 and two consecutive 80-run partnerships with Luthando Mnyanda (43) and Swanepoel (76) for the fifth and sixth wickets respectively, to guide his side past 200 in 39 overs.

Earlier, having elected to bat, Warriors captain Smuts bludgeoned eight fours and five sixes on his way to a 144-ball 132, his sixth List A hundred, and strung a third-wicket stand of 151 with Colin Ackermann, who scored 86 off 96 balls, to take his side to 214 for 2 in 43 overs. Smuts, the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with a tally of 453 in seven innings, added 52 off only 28 balls with Lesiba Ngoepe (12) for the fourth wicket, before both fell off consecutive deliveries in the 48th over to left-arm fast bowler Mbulelo Budaza, who returned 4 for 69, the best figures for Knights on the day. Three quick wickets in the last two overs meant Warriors could squeeze in only another 18 runs, finishing on 284 for 8.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

SMUTS HUNDRED GETS WARRIORS OVER THE LINE

Captain Jon-Jon Smuts celebrated the 100th appearance of his formidable List A career with a fine century, as the Warriors completed a comfortable 90-run victory over the BuildNat Cape Cobras in Sunday’s key Momentum One-Day Cup fixture at PPC Newlands in Cape Town.

Smuts’s 173 not out from 164 deliveries, which included nine fours and eight handsome sixes, carried the visitors to a plentiful final total of 305 for six in the allotted 50 overs.

Registering a career-best score, the highest of this year’s tournament and the third largest in the history of List A cricket in South Africa, the hard-hitting right-hander offered the national selectors a timely reminder of his limited-overs prowess, ahead of June’s ICC Champions Trophy in the United Kingdom.

The 28-year-old reached 100 off a measured 133 deliveries – and became increasingly cavalier en route to 150 off a further 22. Particularly severe on seamers Rory Kleinveldt and Dane Paterson through the closing throes, he was earlier equally adept at negotiating the wile and guile of spinners Eddie Leie, George Linde and Dane Piedt.

Smuts cherished fruitful support from fellow opening batsman Gihahn Cloete, whose 70 from 75 laid a decent foundation for middle-order duo Colin Ingram and Colin Ackermann to capitalise. Ingram and Ackermann briskly moved to 20 and 23, respectively, but were unable to convert quick cameos into the longer-term substance enjoyed by Cloete and Smuts.

On loan from the bizhub Highveld Lions, legspinner Leie proved the pick of the bowlers. His telling haul of four for 56 included the important dismissals of Cloete, Ingram and Ackermann. Paterson, meanwhile, was the worst of the lot. He travelled for an expensive 83 runs across nine wicketless overs.

The Cobras’ reply was spearheaded by centurion Richard Levi, but ultimately lacked enough stamina to hearten a Newlands crowd dotted with disappointed Cape Town Cycle Tour participants, after the world-famous event was cancelled due to severe winds earlier in the day.

Levi hammered a 70-ball 106, lined with 14 fours and a trio of sixes, but his questionable decision to briefly retire hurt before returning to reach three figures proved detrimental to the collective cause.

His initial and final departure saw the home side collapse from a promising 128 for two to an irreparable 193 for eight – and finally 215 all out in 37.3 overs.

Like their opposition, the Warriors deployed three spin bowlers – and benefited, in particular, from the leg-breaks of former skipper Ingram (three for 53) – and seamer Ayabulela Gqamane’s two for 22.

Host captain Piedt, when all was said and done, was left to ponder his decision to field first after winning the toss. His choice wasn’t necessarily incorrect, but he would have hoped for a sub-220 target, not 300-plus.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

TITANS WIN THE T20 CHALLENGE 2016

Multiply Titans claimed a second successive T20 title and denied Warriors a first trophy in seven seasons by defending 156, despite losing their captain Albie Morkel to a hamstring injury in their first over in the field. Lungi Ngidi and Junior Dala both conceded under seven runs an over but the hero was Malusi Siboto who defended 12 off the final over to secure a tense win.

A penultimate over that was boundary-less and cost Dala just six runs set the tone for Siboto’s heroics but they were not without drama. He sent down a slower ball first delivery, then a dot ball, and then only three singles to all but guarantee Titans the win. However, with what should have been the final ball, Siboto bowled a leg-side wide to leave open the prospect of a Super Over deciding the tournament. But he finished on target to leave Warriors wondering how they had left it to their seventh-wicket pair of Lesiba Ngoepe and Sisanda Magala needing to score 31 off 22 balls.

The enormity of the occasion – Warriors last played in a final in the 2010-11 season – seemed to overwhelm them but they showed glimpses of breaking their drought. They pulled Titans back from 105 for 3 to restrict them to a below-par score at altitude but none of their senior batsmen could anchor the chase.

Warriors reply began tentatively when Clyde Fortuin hit the ball straight to Aiden Markram at backward point but Titans’ joy soon turned to worry. Morkel grabbed at his hamstring in pain as the wicket fell and could not complete the over.

David Wiese took over the captaincy and bowled the next over from Morkel’s end, with equal success. He had the leading run-scorer in the competition, Jon-Jon Smuts, caught behind and Warriors were in early trouble. Their malaise could have deepened when Ngidi appealed for a catch against Colin Ingram, who had yet to score, but umpire Allahudien Paleker turned him down. Ingram only faced another eight deliveries before Ngidi had the last laugh and Titans took the Powerplay honours with Warriors on 44 for 3.

Colin Ackermann and Christiaan Jonker got them back on track with a clinical attack on the Titans change bowlers. They were particularly severe on left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, whose first over cost 14, but he could have had both their wickets. After Ackermann hit Shamsi over the grass embankment for six, he skied another strike but Siboto put it down and conceded a run. Off the next ball, Jonker tried to flick and was caught by Junior Dala to put Titans back in it.

Ackermann shared in a 30-run fifth-wicket stand with Qaasim Adams, who is on loan from Titans and gave it to his old team with a feisty 17 off 16 balls. Before he could do any more damage, though, Shamsi removed him lbw with the last ball of his spell. The tale twisted even more when Ackermann holed out to Ngidi and all but ended Warriors’ challenge.

That would have come as relief to Titans, who should have scored more after their strong start. They put on 35 in the first four overs, which included two overs from Kyle Abbott who was selected ahead of the competition’s second-highest wicket-taker Andrew Birch, despite Birch’s 5 for 16 against the same opposition at the same ground in the group stage.

Warriors fought back when Basheeru Walters made the first breakthrough and two further blows left Titans 73 for 3 in the 10th over. Despite needing some firepower Titans did not send in their star batsman Farhaan Behardien immediately and tasked Heino Kuhn with partnering Morkel in the middle. Kuhn was run out in the 14th over, which sparked a mini-collapse. They lost three for 21, including Behardien, who was unable to provide a replay of his 14-ball fifty from the weekend, and Morkel, also run-out.

At 126 for 6, with 16 balls remaining, Titans were in danger of finishing well below par but Wiese took them to respectability. He plundered 16 runs in a 19-run final over that took Titans over 150 and, in the end, it proved enough.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

COBRAS END LOSING SEQUENCE WITH WARRIORS DRAW

Jason Smith and Aviwe Mgijima joined the PPC Newlands run fest on the final day of the Sunfoil Series clash between the BuildNat Cape Cobras and the Warriors as the match in Cape Town ended in a high-scoring draw on Sunday.

Smith hit 63 (99 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) and Mgijima made 54 (104 balls, 5 fours) – the pair both playing in the fourth franchise matches of their careers – as the hosts amassed 567/7 in reply to the visitors’ 525/7 declared.

Both totals were the highest against each other, in a match where bat dominated ball and only 14 wickets fell over the course of the four days.

There were three centurions – Colin Ackermann (146), Andrew Puttick (124) and Omphile Ramela (170) – to go along with six half-centurions.

Amongst the bowler, Basheer Walters was the most successful with 2/79, while Simon Harmer took 2/176 from a marathon 69 overs of spin.

The result at least provided some respite for the Cobras, who had lost both previous matches of the season to date. The Capetonians, who had resumed the final day on 374/3, took 2.82 points from the game.

The Warriors secured 4.98 points after one loss and one win from their first two matches.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

ACKERMANN SIGNS WITH LEICESTERSHIRE

Leicestershire have turned to South Africa to bolster their batting strength, signing batsman Colin Ackermann on a two-year contract.

The signing will encourage the belief that English counties are eager to raid South African players who suspect their chances of progression may be limited in their own country because of stiffened transformation policies.

Ackermann, a former South Africa U-19 international, will qualify as a non-overseas player. He has a first-class record approaching 40, the latest of seven hundreds coming for Warriors against the Multiply Titans last week. He also has 10 half-centuries in the two limited-overs formats.

Leicestershire’s head coach Pierre de Bruyn, a fellow South African, said: “Colin is a quality top order batsman who can also bowl some useful off-spin, and he will offer us a good option in all three formats of the game. He will provide us with further competition for places.”

Ackermann does have previous knowledge of Leicestershire, having represented Kibworth in 2012. He also played a Second XI match for Leicestershire that year, top-scoring with 73 in a low-scoring match against Northants.

Leicestershire have stabilised under the guidance of their chief executive Wasim Khan, a former chief executive of the Chance to Shine charity, which seeks to promote cricket in State schools. However, his specialist knowledge has – perhaps unsurprisingly considering the inevitable time lag – brought no overnight transformation in Leicestershire’s ability to produce players from a wider talent base.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

BIRCH INSPIRES WARRIORS ATTACH

Andrew Birch recorded career-best figures as the Warriors cruised to a nine-wicket bonus-point win over the Sunfoil Dolphins in their Momentum One-Day Cup match at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban on Wednesday.
Paceman Birch ended with the superb figures of 10-5-15-4, while Ayabulela Gqamane nabbed 3/18 as the hosts were bundled out for just 110 off 28.3 overs. The visitors then reached 111 for one off 23.5 overs with Colin Ackermann striking his first half-century of the season to end unbeaten on 59 off 83 balls (8 fours, 1 six).
The win saw the Warriors move to second on the log, on 23 points, and all but secured the Eastern Cape franchise a playoff place, while the Dolphins slipped to their sixth loss of the season to remain rooted to the bottom of the table.
The Warriors play the Cape Cobras in their final round-robin match in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, are the only team that are completely out of the running for a playoff place and their final score against the Warriors was their lowest total in the competition’s history, eclipsing their previous lowest total of 137 for nine, off 45 overs, against the Eagles in the 2008/09 season.
The Durban side had won the toss and elected to bat but crumbled to 65-9 after 21 overs in the face of an inspired new-ball spell from Birch, who bowled his 10 overs unchanged.
Only four Dolphins’ batsmen reached double figures while the innings was only given some late gloss by a 45-run 10th-wicket partnership between Keshav Maharaj (43*), his highest List A total, and Mthokozisi Shezi (10).
Ackermann and Jon-Jon Smuts then took the Warriors to the brink of victory with a 108-run opening stand. Smuts was the more aggressive of the pair as he scored 49 off 59 deliveries (7 fours, 1 six) before being dismissed by medium-pacer Andile Phehlukwayo.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

INGRAM LEADS WARRIORS TO SECOND PLACE

Colin Ingram struck an unbeaten 97 as the Warriors moved back into second place on the Momentum One-Day Cup standings with a 14-run win over The Unlimited Titans at Buffalo Park on Sunday.

The home captain was left stranded three short of a century having faced 97 balls as his side were bowled out for 285 in 49.1 overs after winning the toss and batting first in East London. The outstanding Grant Thomson cleaned up last man Lundi Mbane for a duck with five balls remaining to bag figures of three for 54.

Ingram, who struck seven fours and a six, was the only man to cross the half-century mark for his side, with Jon-Jon Smuts (44) and Colin Ackermann (41) reaching the 40s and Christiaan Jonker (34) and Jerry Nqolo (31) getting into the 30s. Part-timer Henry Davids returned the best figures of three for 39, just ahead of Thomson, who then shone with the bat as the Titans came close to pulling off what would have been an excellent chase. The 27-year-old all-rounder top-scored with 79 from 87 balls, before he was the last man out with the Pretoria side dismissed for 271 in 49.3 overs.

Graeme van Buuren also made 52 off 66 as the much-changed visitors, who lost nearly all their Proteas players due to national duty, still managed to come close. Basheer Walters was the pick of the bowlers with three for 70, while there were two each for Mbane (2-22) and Smuts (2-44). The Warriors now have 18 points after moving back into second place, while the Titans remain fourth (13).

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

COOK CENTURY PUTS LIONS ON ROAD TO LIKELY VICTORY

Stephen Cook’s 34th first-class century set the bizhub Highveld Lions on their way to victory over the Warriors on the third day of their Sunfoil Series clash at Bidvest Wanderers.

Cook turned his overnight 62 into an unbeaten 168, driving the Lions to a second-innings total of 294 for four declared that set the Warriors a target of 423 to win in four-and-a-half sessions.

The Lions looked set to wrap up the game swiftly when they reduced the Warriors to 39 for four, with Hardus Viljoen clinching his seventh and eighth scalps in the match, but Colin Ackermann and Clyde Fortuin dug in to see the Warriors to stumps on 104 for four.

Starting the day on 98 without loss and an overall lead of 226, the Lions held a commanding position that they were unlikely to relinquish.

Although his partner, Rassie van der Dussen (28), was bowled by Basheeru-Deen Walters in the fourth over of the day, Cook received support from Yassar Cook (35) and Dominic Hendricks (21) before a quick stand with Nicky van den Bergh preceded the declaration midway through the second session.

Viljoen ended an erratic first over by bowling David White as the Warriors reply began, and in the next over Yaseen Vallie was trapped lbw by Dwaine Pretorius.

Viljoen’s third over brought the dismissal of Somila Seyibokwe to leave the Warriors eight for three, and half an hour later Pumelela Matshikwe drew an edge from the bat of Colin Ingram which Cook held at slip.

Ackermann and Fortuin held up the Lions’ charge thereafter, and reached stumps on 45 and 34 respectively, but a great deal of work remains on the final day if they are to hold off Viljoen and company.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

WARRIORS SEEK MOMENTUM AGAINST DOMINANT TITANS

The Warriors face the stiff task of revitalising their RAM SLAM T20 campaign against the tournament’s standout side when they take on The Unlimited Titans in the second game of Saturday’s double-header at St. George’s Park.

The Warriors currently sit fifth on the table with 10 points, but are the only side who still have four games remaining – something that could be turned into an advantage if they can beat the Titans and generate some momentum.

“We know we’re up against a tough challenge, where three wins out of four games will give us an outside chance of qualifying for the play-offs, and four wins out of four would give us a good chance,” said captain, Colin Ingram.

“If we get on a good run and develop some momentum in the final league games, then we could take that into the knockouts as well. This next home game is key, because if we win it then playing three games in quick succession next week could suit us.”

Their task looks all the steeper for the fact that Colin Ackermann remains a doubt due to his quad strain, and Lundi Mbane may be unavailable due to a bereavement.

What’s more, they will be up against a team that is set on total domination – the Titans need just two wins from their final three games to guarantee a home final, but after winning their last six on the trot, they have their sights set even higher.

“We’ve obviously worked out what we need to get a home final but that’s not our main focus,” said captain, Albie Morkel. “We want to go through the rest of the competition without losing. It would be tough, but that’s our ambition.”

It’s no secret that the Warriors have been heavily reliant on Ackermann and Ingram for runs in the competition, and Morkel made it clear that the Titans will be out to exploit that.

“With any side that we face we try and identify their match-winners and take them out as early as possible. Those two have played some nice cricket this season, so if we can take them out early then the Warriors have a young bowling attack that we can target.”

Morkel added that the Titans were likely to travel with an unchanged squad for the game, which gets underway at 6pm tonight.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

DOLPHINS AND WARRIORS SEEK VICTORY TONIGHT

Sunfoil Dolphins coach, Lance Klusener, has called on his players to show greater commitment to their franchise and themselves as they look to arrest a two-game losing run in the RAM SLAM T20 when they visit the Warriors at Buffalo Park on Friday night.

Klusener was visibly angry after Wednesday’s game, which saw the Dolphins restrict the Titans to 136 for nine, only to be bowled out for a record low score of 70 and gift the Titans a bonus-point win.

With such a tight turnaround in between the games there has been little time to make major changes – and the Dolphins have travelled with the same squad – but Klusener feels that a mental shift is desperately required.

“It’s about letting the Dolphins down, and we need to apologise to our fans for that performance,” he reflected.

“I don’t think it’s a skill thing – it’s a mindset or a commitment thing. It’s about wanting to be your best which I sometimes have to question.”

While the Dolphins sit second on the table and still look good for a place in the play-offs as long as they can overcome their patch of poor form, the Warriors go into a string of three home games knowing that positive performances are non-negotiable.

With just two wins from the first half of the competition, home games against the Dolphins, the Titans and the Cobras represent an opportunity to move up the table, but support from their batsmen lower down the order will be necessary to do so.

The Warriors have been hugely reliant on Colin Ackermann and Colin Ingram thus far, with the pair notching up 379 runs while the rest of the squad have managed just 245.

Nevertheless, Ingram is not overly concerned.

“I think we expect the top four to take care of most of the overs,” he said. “That’s where you want your big scores to come from, and then for the guys coming in after that to chip in and really maximise their strike rate.

“We’ve been fortunate that the top order has done some good work through the season and long may it continue. These next three home games are massively important for us. They’ll give us either an easier run-in or a really tough one.”

Share: