Proteas will bounce back – Parnell
PROTEAS paceman Wayne Parnell is confident the team will get off to a flying start when they take on Sri Lanka in the first oneday international at St George’s Park tomorrow.
Speaking at the Port Elizabeth Airport yesterday, he said: “It’s a new campaign so we need to start afresh.”
Parnell, 27, hails from Port Elizabeth and plays for the Cape Cobras when he is not doing duty for the national team.
“Port Elizabeth has shown us a lot of love whenever we play here. The band will be there, which is unique. We expect everybody to come out and support us,” he said.
EP Cricket commercial manager Leigh Deyzel said an estimated 8 000 tickets had already been sold for the match.
“It has been very encouraging to see full stadiums around the country and we are hoping that Nelson Mandela Bay can do the same,” she said.
The Proteas are coming off the back of a T20 series defeat against Sri Lanka in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The Proteas’ newest fast bowling sensation, Lungi Ngidi, 20, may be an absentee due to an injury which could rule him out of making his national ODI debut.
“I heard the vibe from the fans is amazing and I can’t wait to see that,” he said.
The team was welcomed with traditional song and dance by the Qhama Cultural Group.
Mayor Athol Trollip was also at the airport to welcome the players.
“Nelson Mandela Bay is a sport, tourism and recreation destination. We are mad about cricket in the Eastern Cape and we are mad about the Proteas,” he said.
Deyzel said it was all systems go for the match.
“Our head groundsman, Adrian Carter, and his staff have been hard at work to make sure the pitch and field are in tip-top shape, she said.
She said the band would be in attendance and allowed to play at their own free will.
SA Weather Services Port Elizabeth spokesman Garth Sampson said the forecast for tomorrow indicated partly cloudy and windy conditions, with temperatures reaching the mid-20s.