Marais tipped for Warriors debut
Border big hitter could get start in flatter Kimberley conditions
BORDER batsman Marco Marais could make his much-anticipated franchise debut when the Warriors face the Knights in their Momentum One-Day Cup cricket match in Kimberley today (1.30pm).
Marais has been in the squad since the start of the 50-over campaign but has not featured in any of the four games.
Right-hander Marais has been in sensational form for Border, scoring three hundreds and three fifties in his last 10 games.
One of those hundreds was a spectacular record – an unbeaten triple century against Eastern Province.
After winning their opening game against the Lions, the Warriors have lost three on the bounce and are set to introduce some new blood in a bid to turn their fortunes around.
Caretaker coach Rivash Gobind said there would be changes to the team which lost to the Titans in Benoni on Sunday, but would not confirm who he might bring in.
But by process of elimination, Marais is the only new face he could introduce.
“Tomorrow is important,” Gobind said in Kimberley yesterday.
“We need to get some momentum going, especially on the road. You saw in the T20, once we did that we were fine.
“It just takes one win to spark everyone, and if the confidence is up, things work.
“The Warriors are often like that. Once we get on a roll we [are] actually very good.
“We might change a few things just to create a different feel to the team which would be exciting for the fans to try and get some new faces in.”
Marais would certainly jump at the opportunity to make his debut under flatter conditions in Kimberley.
He could then look forward to playing the next two games in his home town, East London.
Meanwhile, Gobind is calling on his players not to rely on their “bankers” to make runs and take wickets.
“We rely on our match-winners – Smutses, Jonkers, Birches.
“Birchy has bowled well, [but] not got a lot of wickets.
“In the first game we saw that when Smuts and Jonker come off, we win the game.
“They have been trying and the results look worse than we’ve played, to be honest.
“But we need performances now from everyone. We can’t really be waiting for one or two guys to win us games.
“We need the guys who are actually playing now to step up and be man of the match.”
One of the positives in the Titans defeat was the 82 made by opener Gihahn Cloete.
Gobind, praising the lefthander, 25, said it was also time for Cloete to score more regularly.
“He has shown [his] potential. He just has to be more consistent now.
“He’s at that age where that whole potential tag that’s been attached to him needs to fall away and be replaced by performances.
“It was a fantastic innings and he showed his quality, but now he needs to back that up tomorrow for his growth as a cricketer,” Gobind said.
Squads: