Pybus: Maybe Cobras can mix it up a bit more
RICHARD PYBUS knows he has got a few tough selection decisions to make ahead of tomorrow’s Twenty20 Challenge match against the Warriors at Newlands.
But the Cape Cobras coach would rather have that “nice headache than be on the thin side”.
Over the last five years, the Cape side have built a strong team with an abundance of talented individuals in all departments of the gentlemen’s game.
And for Pybus this weekend, it’s more a case of who to leave out than who to put in.
Proteas batsman Justin Ontong is set to return to the side after an ankle injury kept him on the sidelines since he national Zealand.
But while the Paarl-born batsman has been away, many returned duty in from New other players have come to the party for the team, with the likes of opener Stiaan van Zyl and Alistair Gray, the surprise package with the ball, putting in a few match-winning performances.
“It’s a nice headache to have, but we are still a couple of days out from the game before I have to make a decision,” Pybus told the Cape Times yesterday.
“We have been without quite a few guys because of national duty this season, and obviously we are happy to have a guy like Justin back in the mix after his injury.”
The Cobras coach added: “So it’s going to be a tough decision who to leave out, but I would rather have that problem than being thin in that department.”
Bowling at the death has been one of the few issues the Cobras have had. But, according to Pybus, it seems to be a trend in the competition this season that the faster bowlers have travelled at the back-end of the innings.
The Cobras’ spinners have been phenomenal in the competition so far. And, in last Sunday’s six-wicket win over the Knights in Paarl, captain Justin Kemp handed experienced Australian wrist-spinner Brad Hogg the penultimate over of the innings to take some of the pace off the ball.
“The seamers have disappeared a bit at the death, but that has basically been in all the matches so far this season. The batters have targeted the quicker bowlers, that’s for sure,” Pybus said.
“So maybe we must look to be more flexible and mix it up a bit more, and give the slow bowlers the ball at the backend of the innings.
“But that would also depend on who is at the crease and the conditions,” the Cobras coach added.
Besides tomorrow’s match, the Cobras also face arch-rivals the Titans on Sunday in a fixture that could go a long way towards determining the all-important final standings of the domestic T20 competition.