Warriors chase a home semi
As the Cricket SA T20 Challenge moves into its business end, earning a home semifinal will be high on the list of priorities for the Warriors, fast bowler Nealan van Heerden says.
With the final week of group stage matches on the horizon, it will be all to play for in terms of who finishes third and fourth on the log, with the top two sides all but ensured of a semifinal berth.
Van Heerden said earning a home playoff had been one of the goals set by the group and they were now within touching distance of achieving that.
“It is a very quick turnaround in that we play four games in a week, so a win in Paarl would have been ideal as it would have helped us to take one step closer to that goal,” he said.
“We do have one more chance to secure it by winning against the Lions, but we will have to play good cricket and be on our game for 240 balls because they are a tricky side who will themselves be looking for a win to further their ambitions in the competition.”
The Gqeberha side are in pole position on 39 points with nine wins from 11 matches. One more win in their top-of-the-table clash against the Lions at St George’s Park on Wednesday will ensure they do not drop outside the home semifinal positions of first and second.
A win for the Lions, who are on 35 points, will take them level on points with Matthew Breetzke’s men, while a bonus point victory will move them ahead by one point with two games to play.
The Dolphins have an outside chance of earning a Durban semifinal. However, for that to happen, they would need to win their last two fixtures while hoping either the Lions or Warriors lose their remaining matches.
The Warriors started like a house on fire, claiming eight successive wins. It was a record-equalling feat twice achieved by the Cape Cobras and once by the Titans.
Their win against the Tuskers last Friday meant they became the first side to win nine group stage matches. However, it must be noted that the 2024 edition of the domestic T20 competition features the most group stage matches (14) since its inception as the Standard Bank Pro20 Series two decades ago.
They have suffered just two defeats all campaign, with both losses coming in just more than a week after a 12-run loss to the Titans on April 5 before Sunday’s five-wicket defeat to the Rocks.
Speaking about the importance of mental and physical fitness coming into such a busy period, Van Heerden said it played a big role at the end of the round-robin phase.
“It’s massively important, especially towards the back end of the season, where games come at you quite quickly after a long season.
“As a professional athlete, mental and physical fitness are almost non-negotiable, especially at times like this.”