Chastened Lions need a reaction
WANDERERS CLASH: HOME SIDE’S PROTEAS ARE BACK
Highveld Lions assistant coach Wandile Gwavu is looking for a strong reaction from his team when they take on the Warriors in the second match of their Momentum One-Day Cup campaign at the Wanderers today.
The hosts lost a high-scoring opening match of the campaign to the Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg at the weekend, while the visitors overcame the Cape Cobras in their first game.
“We were disappointed that we lost the match, but we sat down and took mainly positives from the defeat,” Gwavu explained. “It was a high-scoring match chasing nearly 350 and could have gone either way at the end.
“We’re back home now for the next game against the Warriors and are looking forward to it.”
Enoch Nkwe’s men could have been forgiven for still being hungover after winning the Four-Day Domestic Series title the previous week. But the Lions’ No 2 insisted there was no such thing in the change-room. “I don’t think so, we played some good cricket in that game in pockets,” he said.
“The batting was good overall, but the fielding and our bowling was not up to scratch.”
Opposite number Mfuneko Ngam, meanwhile, concedes it will be a big test for the young Warriors squad on the Highveld.
“It’s going to be a tough one,” he said. “If you look at their team, all their Proteas are back and that makes them even stronger.”
Ngam, though, hopes they can build on their opening performance and continued their good start to the 50-over campaign.
“At least we got some momentum behind us after winning that first game,” he said.