Warriors all set for different ball game

Coach Rivash Gobind wants his batsman to step it up a gear as the Warriors start the second round of four-day franchise matches against the Cape Cobras at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

As the dust settles from the hit-and-run Mzansi Super League, all six franchises will be shifting their mind-set to redball cricket this week.

The Cobras head the standings with four wins in five matches while the Warriors, in fourth position, have only one victory to show for their efforts.

Gobind admits he felt some unease in the first half of the competition and that had mainly to do with the team’s batting.

“There are some concerns. We need to bat a lot better. We are not doing as well as what we should in four-day cricket,” said Gobind.

Attacking opener Eddie Moore is the exception at the top of the order. He is third on the competition’s run-scoring table with 451 runs in nine innings (average 56.37).

“Eddie has been the one [batsman who has performed]. But as fantastic as his numbers are, I still believe, with his potential, he's got a lot more to offer.

“He's another one I hope gets into an A side at the end of this season.”

Gobind said it was now up to the individuals to go out and prove their worth to the side with bat in hand.

“Our middle-order has been pretty inconsistent. The quality is there.

“The net sessions have been good and then it's all about applying that in terms of the middle. You know what it's like, you can practice all you like, once you get out to the middle you have to turn it on.”

Gobind says two victories over the Cobras in the next few months will go some distance to closing the gap at the top. He also says the team could not have picked a better time to take on the Western Cape franchise.

“The Cobras had some fantastic momentum in the first half of the competition and that’s been broken up for a month now by the Mzansi league. So hopefully we can capitalise on that.

“We were pretty inconsistent. We put ourselves in positions to win games in the first half and didn't get over the line. We are pretty lucky in that the Cobras are top of the log and that we got to play them twice in our next five games. If we can win those two games, that’s going to put us really close to them and definitely in with a shout for the remaining three.”

The Warriors have drafted in EP fast bowler Glenton Stuurman to replace Anrich Nortje, who injured his ankle during the Mzansi Super League.

Warriors squad: Jon-Jon Smuts (capt), Gihahn Cloete, Eddie Moore, Yaseen Vallie, Simon Harmer, Colin Ackermann, Basheer-Dean Walters, Sisanda Magala, Clyde Fortuin, Sinethemba Qeshile, Lutho Sipamla, Glenton Stuurman.

There are some concerns. We need to bat a lot better. We are not doing as well as what we should