Benoni bungle as NCC fail to dominate Easterns in cross-pool clashes
ORLANDO Pirates’ coach Micho Sredojevic believes a clearer picture of what his team can do this season and going forward will come out after their clash with Cape Town City tomorrow.
The Buccaneers visit the Citizens at Cape Town Stadium in the Nedbank Cup last 16 looking to exorcise the 3-0 thumping they received from Ajax Cape Town in their last trip to the Mother City while simultaneously chasing silverware to make up for last season’s disastrous campaign.
The Buccaneers have played down their championship credentials in the league despite sitting in second place, four points behind log-leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
But there is no room to hide in a cup competition unlike the league where teams are judged over a longer period.
“It will be a very good match that will tell us where we are at present (and where we are going), regarding all the things we do on and off the field,” Sredojevic said.
“There is one visible match that will be played out at Cape Town Stadium and there is another invisible match that we wage against ourselves in NORTHERN Cape Cricket remains rooted at the bottom of the CSA Provincial One-Day Cup table after yet another defeat (their seventh from 10 matches) on Sunday against Easterns in Benoni. The Northern Cape team didn’t do themselves any favours in the three-day encounter earlier on the weekend when they had to share the spoils, leaving them one position from the bottom place on the Sunfoil Three-Day Cup log.
NCC were sent in to bat by their hosts in the limited overs cross-pool fixture and Jacques Snyman 56 and Luthando Mnyanda 49 got them into a healthy position with a second wicket partnership of 113 runs, this after they lost Driaan Bruwer early on for 1.
Despite the top-order heroics by Snyman and Mnyanda they ended their season on a low note going down by three wickets.
NCC had only managed to reach
226 before being dismissed in 46.2 terms of preparation and doing the right things in order to be theoretically aware about the opponents, to be mentally strong because we know that in cup competitions, it’s very simple – you’re either in or out.
“We have the mental strength that can carry us in that match.”
Sredojevic continued, “We need to be physically fit to answer the questions that will be posed to us by a very good team that’s in contention for the league. This is the biggest match of this Nedbank Cup round.
Final before final
“It’s a final before the final … We know that there is a demand for us to deliver silverware at the club. We are looking forward to giving our fans tablets to heal their souls for everything that has happened in the past.”
The Buccaneers come into this match at the back of a 3-1 win over their arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby. Pirates took the fight to Amakhosi in an entertaining spectacle that showed how lethal their attack can be. But in a way it was “easy” to do well in that match due to the opponents and the fanfare around the Soweto Derby. Doing the same thing in “lesser” matches will be key. overs, with Zakir Kathrada chipping in with 57 not out and Desmond de Koker contributing 22. The rest of their batting line-up failed to reach double-figures, except for a cameo by “Mr Extras” who contributed 15.
The best of the Easterns bowlers were Matthew Arnold 2/39, Imran Manack 2/36 and Felane Neo 2/43.
Easterns in their reply had to graft for victory, eventually winning the match by three wickets. The hosts got to the victory target, reaching 227/7, with Sizwe Masondo 69, Grant Thomson 49, Armandt 40 not out and Jurie Snyman 28 doing the damage with the bat. For the visitors Warren Bell claimed 3/37.
Meanwhile, on Saturday also at Willowmoore Park these two teams drew their cross-pool Sunfoil Three Day Cup fixture.
Being sent in to bat on Thursday by NCC, Easterns only reached 2/0 when rain put an end to play on the first day. Eventually, however, the hosts were bowled out for a useful 286 with the best batsmen being Tumelo Bodibe 36,
That win was part of the club’s makeover as they showed good character in not getting overawed by the occasion and being able to deliver.
Last season’s Pirates didn’t have such character, with them wilting easily at the slightest pressure.
Sredojevic and his technical team have changed the make-up of the team with a number of new faces who are taking the Soweto giants forward.
But the Serbian argues the old guard still has an important role to play in the club’s transformation.
“They know how it’s like to be on top and they know how it’s like to be at the bottom like we were last season,” Sredojevic said. “The balance between those two things is helping us to not get carried away. We are doing much better this season but we aren’t relaxed or allowing ourselves to be in a comfort zone.
“In our first camp in Rustenburg and then after when coach Rhulani (Mokwena) arrived we created a family atmosphere among us along with fanatical hard work.
“Those are the main pillars that drive us, fully aware of the 80 years of history of the badge we are carrying. We have gone from strength to strength.” Wesley Coulentianos 76, Matthew Arnold 71, Ryan Cartwright 31 and Sizwe Masondo 21.
NCC’s Desmond de Koker will undoubtedly be happy with his 7/58 runs in just 17.1 overs, with Thandolwethu Mnyaka, Mbulelo Budaza and Aubrey Swanepoel each taking one wicket.
In their reply NCC were skittled for just 119 in 39.5 overs and were forced to follow on. Only Patrick Kruger (40) put up any real resistance, with Mnyanda, Snyman, Kagisho Mohale and Extras managed to reach double figures. The best of Easterns bowlers were Arnold 4/17 and CJ August 3/13 .
NCC fared much better in their follow-on innings and had reached 226/6 to force the draw, with opening batsman, Mnyanda top scoring with a brilliant 83, Grant Mokoena 69 and Kruger 34 not out also did better for the team.
Once again it was the same two bowlers for Easterns who were among the wickets, August 2/30 and Arnold 2/45. FIRST AID: Milutin Sredojevic, coach of Orlando Pirates says that his team will do what it takes to deliver for their fans this season.