BORDER’S HOME-GROUND ADVANTAGE IN AFRICA CUP T20 FINALS
Homeground advantage could propel local side to a maiden Cup crown
Home team, Gauteng, Easterns and North West will ensure a new champion, with none having won the coveted trophy in the past
Following a thrilling pool C of the Africa Cup T20 competition Border has been named as hosts for the finals weekend, set to be battled out at Buffalo Park this coming Sunday and Heritage Day on Monday.
The four pool winners, namely Border, Gauteng, Easterns and North West will be going all out for the title, with a new winner set to be named, as neither of the four had won any of the previous three editions. The draw took place on Monday afternoon and saw Gauteng drawn against North West in the first semi on Sunday morning and Border against Easterns on Sunday afternoon. “Everyone is excited about it. It was our goal to get through to the playoffs and we did it as a team, which was great,” said Border captain Jerry Nqolo.
“With what we showed against EP (final game this past Sunday), playing as a team, we definitely have what it takes to go all the way in the competition.
“It is going to be a tough weekend for us, no matter who we will be facing, so we just have to be at our best and give it our all on game day.”
The hosts will now be sweating on the fitness of star batsman and competition leading run-scorer Marco Marais, who absolutely set pool C alight over the past weekend.
Marais smashed 295 runs in four innings over the weekend, including two unbeaten back to back hundreds (103 v Namibia and 106 v Mpumalanga) and an unbeaten 75 against Kenya.
It finally took an injury to stop him, after he pulled his hamstring against EP, following which he was bowled for 11.
“It happened during the Mpumalanga game. I felt a twinge in my hamstring and the physio worked on it after the match and then again after the Kenya match, so I felt okay,” said Marais.
“Then against EP I felt something tweak and I was in a lot of pain. So when I was batting after that I couldn’t lunge at all. That’s why I was trying to hit the ball while standing still, but I missed and was bowled.
“The physio thinks it is just a strain and I just need to rest. It doesn’t feel too good now but I am seeing him on Tuesday afternoon and then Wednesday morning again, so hopefully it is not major.
“Otherwise they will have to cut my leg off and put a new leg on so that I can play on Sunday and Monday,” joked Marais.
Regardless of what happens with Marais, Border will have to be at their very best if they are to claim a maiden Africa Cup title. They will be happy to have homeground advantage.
The team has built up some good momentum. After losing their pool C opener against Namibia, they went on to win their next three in a row to take top spot in the pool.
“We are very happy with our performances. We did well throughout the weekend, even though we lost that first game, but I think we did very well as a team,” said Nqolo. “I think Marco was the man for us this weekend. He was in awesome form and we are hoping he will be fine for the weekend.”
Entrance for the finals weekend will be free.
Gauteng v North West will start at 9.30am on Sunday morning, while Border v Easterns will be played from 1.:30pm.
The final will take place on Monday morning from 10am.