Border relish date with North West
Both captains in positive mood ahead of crucial weekend of clashes
Border captains Mkhululi Calana and Aya Gqamane believe their team can get off to the best possible start in their CSA three-day and one-day competition clashes against North West at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom over the next four days.
The three-day match will be played from Thursday to Saturday, with the one-day game following on Sunday, and Border will be eager to start with a win in at least one of the games to give the side a good confidence boost for the season.
Calana will be captaining the side over the three-day competition this season and won’t have any trouble with the role, having captained the team towards the end of the previous season.
“I am very excited. I am working with a group of guys who are very talented, and I believe this team can do very well this season,” said Calana.
“I also have a really good relationship with the coach. He coached me at Fort Hare and we know each other well, so that also helps.
“We are looking forward to the challenge up in Potchefstroom. The guys have worked very hard over the off season and have been looking really good in the nets, so I think we can get off to a really good start this week.”
A few of the Border players played for the the Border team in the Africa Cup competition last month, with their pool stage played at the same ground in Potchefstroom, so they will have got a good feel for the conditions.
“It is certainly going to help a lot with the guys who played in the Africa Cup as they got used to the conditions up there and have given us a good idea of what to expect. So I feel we are fully ready for the challenge,” said Calana.
Gqamane will be happy to be back on the playing field after spending much of last season on the sidelines with an injury, and he will be keen to bring good experience from his years at the Warriors into the Border side.
This will be his first time captaining at senior level and he will hope to do a good job.
“I am happy to be back and playing. I had quite a long layoff, so it is really good to be back on the field, and I am excited to try and start the season off on a good note,” said Gqamane.
“I look forward to every challenge that comes my way. I haven’t captained at this level before, although I have at junior level. But it is something new that I am really looking forward to doing over the season.
“We have a very good bunch of cricketers here, and I think they have what it takes to do well in both formats of the game.”
Having Calana and Gqamane sharing the captaincy duties should also help take some of the pressure off each of them, while they will also look to assist each other when not in full charge of the side.
“We work well together. I am happy to be vice captain in the three-day matches and then take over for the one-days. So I think it is a good system, and we will work well with it over the season,” said Gqamane.
The three-day match gets under way at 10am on Thursday and should conclude by Saturday afternoon, with the oneday match starting at 9.30am on Sunday.