Markram backs Sunrisers against DSG

Having travelled the length and breadth of the country over the past four weeks, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape will be highly motivated to win and avoid any further travels when they take on Durban’s Super Giants in the first qualifier of the Betway SA20 playoffs on Tuesday.

Having assumed the top spot on the log after their five-wicket victory over the Paarl Royals in Gqeberha on Sunday, the men in orange will do battle at Newlands against a Durban side who have shown themselves to be a formidable force.

With the playoff stages being hosted in the Mother City and Johannesburg, Markram and his charges will take to the field knowing a win would see them advance straight to the final and remain in Cape Town in addition to having a few extra rest days.

The losing side in the playoff match will have to endure a few more days of travel as they make their way to Johannesburg to face off against the losing side from the first eliminator, to be contested between the Paarl Royals and Joburg Super Kings.

The winner of the second eliminator advances to the final and will have to travel back to the Western Cape.

Markram said on Monday the clash against DSG feels like a must-win game, and they will do everything in their power to achieve the desired result.

“Towards the back end of the competition there has been a lot of travel, lots of games, so to have an extra day off would go a long way and the incentive not to catch another flight would be fantastic and will motivate the boys massively,” he said.

While finishing first on the log was a proud moment, Markram said, the positive results came down to the spirit within the Sunrisers’ environment and how well they were managed by the backroom staff.

“The competition is only really starting now for us.

“These are the games that matter, but to finish first on the log is something we can be proud of.

“If you look at the game against Paarl Royals, there was not much on the line as a whole, but the way the guys came out, their attitudes and energies, if you can rock up in a game like that, going to a qualifier, you can expect more, which is fantastic from our point of view.”

Markram said they will not underestimate the strengths the KwaZulu-Natal side will bring to the table.