Time for youngsters to shine, says EP coach
IT is time for the younger players to step up and cement their place in the squad as they prepare to tackle neighbours Border from tomorrow, says Eastern Province cricket coach Piet Botha. .
The Eastern Cape derby at Buffalo Park in East London is a must-win clash for both teams.
Having not played since the first week of this month, Botha said the EP team were looking forward to the game.
“Most of the guys are fit and look forward to the game as they have not played in a few weeks, so they are happy to get back on the park,” the coach said.
Botha said the loss of allrounder Kelly Smuts and fast bowler Solomzi Nqweni, who were called up to the Warriors side for the Ram Slam T20, would give younger players a chance to make their mark.
Smuts, who has the highest batting average in the three-day competition so far, was praised by Botha for his contribution to the team, but the coach said it was time for others to step up.
“We’ve always relied on our seniors to come up with the goods,” he said.
“Kelly stepped up for us at the season’s start, but we can’t expect one player to do it for us all the time.
“This is a good opportunity for someone else to step into that role and fill the void.”
EP are coming off the back of disappointing result against the South Western Districts, where they drew their three-day match before losing by nine runs in the one-day rubber.
Both of the Eastern Province teams occupy mid-table positions in their pools, and Botha said the quality of cricket played would determine who walked away with the spoils.
“Winning is crucial, because you get at least 16 points for a victory, and teams like Namibia and KwaZulu-Natal have shot up the table due to four wins each, so we need to play good cricket and try our best to win,” he said.
Switching between the longer and shorter formats of the game, Botha said the mental approach of his players, especially going into the one-day match on Sunday, would be key.
“The EP team would need to be at their best to put Border under pressure,” Botha said.
“Normally, conditions [in East London] are favourable to the bowlers. Hopefully we can be on the right side of the toss, because it is important as the pitch evens out as the game progresses.
“I think with our skillset, if we can execute it properly, we stand a good chance of doing well.”
The squads are: Eastern Province: Eddie Moore (c), Kirwin Christoffels, Lloyd Brown, Matthew Christensen, Matthew Breetzke, Onke Nyaku, Tian Koekemoer, Tladi Bokako, Lutho Sipamla, Aubrey Ferreira, Luvuyo Adam, Thokozani Peter, Kyle Jacobs. Border: Gionne Koopman (c), Mkhululi Calana, Bradley Williams, Gerhardt Abrahams, Kabelo Sekhukhune, Aya Gqamane, Marco Marais, Avumile Mnci, Mncedisi Malika, Sithembele Langa, Sinovuyo Ntuntwana, Sesona Ndwandwa, Clayton Bosch, Somila Seyibokwe, Jason Niemand, Phaphama Fojela.