NCC have to dig deep in KZN Coastal clashes
NORTHERN Cape Cricket (NCC) travel to Durban this week to take on the Kwazulu-natal Coastal side with, more or less, the same team that has served them for most of their CSA Three-day Provincial Challenge campaign.
NCC coaches Loots Bosman and Deon Carolus were cagey about making predictions for this clash, which is understandable as the record books will show that the balance has been overwhelmingly in favour of the KZN side over the past five seasons starting back in 2013.
In the past five seasons, the KZN side has had the better of the Northern Cape team winning three of their five meetings outright and drawing one in the former Sunfoil Cup series.
Added to that the fact that NCC are battling to dig themselves out of the basement of the Three-day series log for the past nine games.
The team that travels to Durban this week has a number of the well-known players in the side. Ntabozuko Nqam and Jacques Snyman will serve as the opening pair followed by the reliable Aubrey Swanepoel at number three.
Pundits have it that the experienced Swanepoel, who is now past his hundredth game achieved over 12 seasons, may just take over the captain’s armband for the game starting tomorrow.
The coaches have, meanwhile, stuck with the very green, but talented 18-year-old Garnet Tarr who has yet to make a name for himself in the first class series after sterling performances in the junior Cub series of his school years. Tarr anchors the fourth spot followed by another veteran of the side Tristan Traugot.
Former captain Farhaan Sayanvala has been moved down the order to number six following a number disastrous outings when he was higher up the order in the last couple of matches. To be fair, one of these dismissals was an incident where he was needlessly run out in East London about a month ago.
The rest of the side is made up of Zakhele Qwabe, Desmond De Koker, Kagisho Mohale, Akhona Kula and Sinovuyo Ntuntwana.
The sides will follow up the three-day match with the traditional One-day Cup game on Sunday.