GUNS LOADED FOR WARRIORS’ T20 MATCH
Smuts, Ingram, Jonker back in action
THE Warriors welcome back three “gun” players as they head into the start of the T20 Challenge cricket campaign against the Dolphins in Durban on Sunday.
Captain Jon-Jon Smuts, Colin Ingram and Christiaan Jonker will join the ranks of the Eastern Cape franchise after missing the opening five games of the season in the multi-day Sunfoil Series.
Smuts said the trio were champing at the bit to make a difference for the Warriors and the mood in the camp is high after the team’s four-day victory over the Knights at St George’s Park on Sunday.
“I think the guys have played nicely so far this year, so we got some good momentum going forward and it’s good to be joining the side right now,” Smuts said this week.
Having narrowly missed out on the playoffs last season, the Warriors, who are traditionally a very competitive white ball side, will be looking to go a couple better this time around.
The Warriors have not won a trophy since 2010 and the current crop are determined to remedy that this season.
“We have full ambition to win the tournament,” Smuts said.
“I thought we were very close to doing it last season. We messed up in the last pool game [against the Lions] when we actually should have won it.
“With that win we would have had three in a row and we would have had great momentum going into the playoffs.”
Smuts wants his team to hit the ground running at Kingsmead on Sunday.
“This season, if we could just start well we can be right up there. Our limited overs side is quite experienced.
“The guys have been playing together for a long time, which is quite exciting.”
Ingram will certainly be a trump card for the Warriors.
He enjoyed a superb season for Glamorgan during the South African winter. He has opted to play only white ball cricket for the Warriors this season to give his body a rest.
He will also have sat out just long enough now to be hungry to get straight back into the thick of things in the middle.
Smuts, somewhat of a limited-overs specialist these days, led EP to the Africa T20 Cup title in the season-opening competition a little over a month ago.
That came after he took part in the Caribbean Premier League when he played five matches for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, where he was continuing to develop his T20 skill in the off-season.
“I had quite a busy winter with the CPL and then things just fell into place with the Africa T20 Cup, so hopefully it will continue from here,” he said.
Smuts said he was looking forward to playing again.
In other matches this weekend, the Titans face the Highveld Lions at the Wanderers in a double-header tomorrow.
The Dolphins and the Knights will clash in the second fixture in Johannesburg.