Birch punts for Warriors to bag crucial victories

GRITTY seamer Andrew Birch says there will be no-holds barred as the Warriors approach their final two group matches of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge with great anticipation this weekend.

The Eastern Cape franchise play the Highveld Lions in Potchefstroom tomorrow and the Cape Cobras in East London on Sunday and both are must-win games.

Birch says the team will be up for the fight. “There is nothing to lose at this stage. You either going through or you out. So the guys are playing fearless cricket starting on Friday,” said Birch.

With nine group matches remaining between all the teams, it is tough to calculate what the Warriors have to do to sneak into the semifinals but it’s likely they will ultimately need the rain to stay away and for some other results to go their way.

“I don’t know any permutations whatsoever, it’s just a case of winning and seeing what happens from there. We can only control what we can control at the moment,” Birch added.

The 32-year-old, who is driven by a fiery passion, is among the leading wicket-takers in the competition but would love nothing more than to add to his tally of seven this weekend.

“Obviously, it’s been a tough competition. I’ve been able to hold my head up high by producing the goods. I’d like more wickets but at the moment I’m pretty happy with my performances.”

Birch has made telling breakthroughs for the Warriors at the top of the innings so far this campaign. “That’s why I’m there . . . to strike early and that’s key in T20 cricket. If you take wickets you can restrict batters. If we can get two or three wickets in the first six it’s a bonus and really puts us on the front foot.”

He is relishing the prospect of a possible semifinal which, if they do clinch, will most likely be against the Titans . . . a team that has already beaten them twice this campaign.

“The Titans have been a seriously formidable team at the moment. If they haven’t won every game with a bonus point they have come really close.

“The other guys in other teams we’ve played against quite often. Not to say they haven’t had an impact on games but it hasn’t been as daunting as playing against the Titans where basically it’s like playing against the Proteas.”