Lions and Cobras to be put to test in gruelling week

THE week ahead is chock-a-block for the Johannesburg-based Highveld Lions and the Cape Cobras in the domestic Momentum OneDay Cup series.

The Gauteng side and the Cape combination will have to squeeze in three games each over the next five days.

Today the Lions host the Warriors in Potchefstroom while the Cobras travel to Bloemfontein to face the Knights.

“It’s going to be tough (to) play four games in seven days and we need to be prepared,” Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana said yesterday.

The Lions did not have the desired start to the competition in their effort to defend the title they shared with the Cobras last season. Last weekend, Toyana’s troops were convincingly beaten by six wickets by the Dolphins at Senwes Park.

“The pitch in Potch was not ideal last Sunday, but we are not making excuses for the defeat,” the Lions coach said.

“The Dolphins bowled well in that game, and we did not. (Today) we are playing on the same field. The groundsman there has apologised for the condition of the pitch last week, so (today) it promises to be the old Potch pitch we are used to and on which we would expect to make big runs.”

Toyana said he would be taking the same side that did duty against the Dolphins to the town in North West and that he expected a tough encounter against the Eastern Cape-based Warriors, who will have in their artillery, Proteas leftarm fast-medium swing bowler

It’s going to be tough (to) play four games in seven days and we (the Lions) need to be prepared

Wayne Parnell, in-form players from the past season Andrew Birch and Aya Gqamane, as well as captain Davy Jacobs.

The Port Elizabeth side began the Momentum Cup campaign on a good note with a tight, 11-run win over the Knights last weekend.

In Bloemfontein, the Cobras will be hoping to emulate their two-run win — albeit by the Duckworth-Lewis method — over the Titans last weekend at SuperSport Park. Although they have made a winning start to the season, Cobras captain Justin Ontong expressed his dissatisfaction with the team’s performance in their season opener.

“We’re not overly happy about our performance the other night (against Titans). There are certain areas in which we need to improve. But I believe that if we can improve from game to game, then we’re on the right path.”

One of the problems was batsmen who got starts but did not manage to capitalise.

“There were several guys who made 20s and didn’t kick on and you need someone to take that responsibility if you’re going to make 250-plus.

“I thought the bowling was pretty good, but our catching was also not great and so we have been addressing that,” Ontong said.

The Knights are still licking their wounds following their narrow defeat to the Warriors.

“We’re the only guys with reason to be disappointed because we were in front the whole time and then we lost the game in the end. Losing wickets at crucial stages is always going to keep you under pressure,” former Proteas left-arm spinner Nicky Boje said.

The Lions and Cobras continue their busy week with games on Friday when the Cape side take on the Warriors in East London and the Johannesburg team take on Gauteng rivals the Titans in a local derby at the Wanderers.

On Sunday, the Cobras will be at home at Newlands against the Lions, while the Dolphins host the Titans at Kingsmead.

Today’s Momentum One-Day Cup matches start at 3pm.