Warriors fired up for week
Side keen to get more scalps after earning first Ram Slam win
ONE win was all it took for Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts to start breathing some fire. Winless after their first four matches in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge, the Eastern Cape franchise finally got off the mark by beating the Lions by four wickets in Cape Town on Sunday.
Now, Smuts said the team were looking forward to scalping a few more opponents over the next few days.
First up, they have the Cobras in Paarl tomorrow, followed by a trip to Benoni to face the high-flying Titans, before heading back to Port Elizabeth for the double-header day, where they play the Dolphins at St George’s Park on Sunday.
It is a tough ask by all accounts, but the Warriors believe they have what it takes to beat the best.
“We will always feel like we can beat anyone,” Smuts said yesterday.
“If you look at our team, there are a lot of guys who are proper, serious match winners, and I think on our day we can beat anyone.
“One guy can come off and you can win a game. I know a few guys still have to come off and I’m one of them.
“It’s frustrating at the moment, but I know it’s around the corner.”
This season, four teams qualify for the playoffs after the double round of group games, as opposed to only the three franchises of last season.
“Looking ahead with five games to go, you win three of those and you’re probably in the top four, if not, maybe the top three. There is another good opportunity on Wednesday in Paarl,” Smuts said. “Again, the Cobras are another good side. They’ve also found some momentum.
“In saying that, though, it’s kind of the Titans at the top running away with it a little bit.”
Smuts said he was encouraged by the way his team had batted against the Lions, led by a superb 89 from Colin Ingram.
“I think we batted really well, especially after the couple of early wickets – with the Colins [Ackermann and Ingram] building a little partnership, and with Jonkie [Christiaan Jonker] also coming in as well.
“Even the guys at the bottom, Jerry Nqolo and Lesiba Ngoepe finishing the game off. It was really exciting to see how the guys went about it.”
Smuts was full of praise for his trump card Ingram, who is affectionately known as “Kingram” at his English county side Glamorgan.
“That’s why Colin Ingram is in the Big Bash and the other leagues because of his knock. That was just world class and really special.”
The surface at Newlands on Sunday was a very good one and lent itself to batting.
But Smuts was impressed with how the team paced the chase after the two early dismissals.
“The rate never got more than 11, and as soon as it went to 11 in that one over, we brought it back to 9½.
“Obviously, with hitting sixes there is always some risk involved, but we never felt like the guys were taking massive risks.
“That’s more like the Warriors team we have come to expect. We play an aggressive brand of cricket and it’s exciting to be involved in a team like that.”
Sunday’s win over the Cobras included, Smuts admitted the Warriors had yet to put together some perfect performances.
Tomorrow, Friday and Sunday will provide three golden opportunities for them to do just that.
We will always feel like we can beat anyone