Lions, Knights fight it out to host ‘semifinal’

Warriors can show some character against Cobras

HOME playoff advantage will be up for grabs when the Highveld Lions and the Knights square up in the final league round of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley tonight (6pm).

In the other game, the Cape Cobras play the Chevrolet Warriors in Paarl tonight in a game which will matter not in the greater scheme of things.

The Cobras have an unassailable lead at the top of the standings and will be heading to next year’s Champions League T20 in India.

The Warriors, along with the Titans and the Dolphins, have not been good enough and are out of the running for the playoffs.

That trio will not be going to the subcontinent to play for a share of the multimillion dollars on offer for international franchises.

Either the Knights or the Lions will be going to India, but before they get to play their deciding eliminator against each other on Sunday, there is the small matter of deciding in tonight’s game who will get to play that “semifinal” at home.

“The team is well aware of what is at stake and we will play to secure that home semifinal which is always a big morale booster for the players,” captain Neil McKenzie said.

“The Knights have been a formidable outfit during this competition and we are ensuring that all the boxes are ticked as we prepare for our match against them.”

The Lions will not have intimidating West Indian Chris Gayle to call on tonight as he is battling through a back injury, but he will be available on Sunday when the sides get to do it all again.

“Gayle will be rested in anticipation for the match on Sunday, but no other big changes are planned for us for this match,” coach Geoffrey Toyana said.

After a slow start, the Warriors started showing signs of improvement. But three wins out of nine matches so far has not cut it.

LIn six matches against the top three teams in the competition, they only manage to beat the Knights once, which underlines just how behind the leading pack they have been in the competition.

They do, however, have a chance to restore some of their lost pride by beating the Cobras tonight.

English professional Craig Kieswetter will have a final chance to deliver the goods tonight, while Rusty Theron will want to continue proving that he is one of the best death bowlers in this form of the game. Jon-Jon Smuts has been the team’s best performer with both bay and ball and is likely to play a major role in the outcome tonight.

The fact that he is in the top six for most runs scored in the competition overall and has eight wickets at an economy rate of 5.8 runs per wicket says just how much his input will be needed.

The competition may well be done and dusted for the Eastern Cape franchise but tonight’s game will provide an insight into how much character and fight the Warriors still posses in them.