Adapting will be key as Warriors switch focus, says Nabe
Warriors fast bowler Mthiwekhaya Nabe has trained his thoughts back to the longer format of the game as he looks to play an integral role in the team’s bowling attack for the final two games of the season.
The Warriors resume their CSA 4-Day Franchise series campaign with a trip to Newlands to take on the Cape Cobras this weekend before returning to host the Dolphins in their final game starting on March 16.
The right-arm seamer is coming off the back of a splendid showing for the men in green and black, finishing the Betway T20 Challenge as the bowler with the leading average in the tournament.
He recorded a tournament average of 9.7 runs to the over, conceding 97 runs and picking up 10 wickets in the 14.1 overs he bowled during the competition.
Nabe was full of praise for his teammates and the fighting spirit they showed in getting to the latter stages of the competition after their slow start.
“I am so proud of the team. “Having lost our opening three games, we knew we would have to fight hard if we wanted something from the tournament.
“Everybody chipped in and contributed, there was no reliance on specific players and we never panicked when we were under pressure, we just kept fighting even though it seemed dead and gone,” he said.
Asked how he felt about his own performances with the ball, Nabe shied away from the question, saying their success came from the team sticking to their plans and processes.
“We worked very hard as a group on our plan, so we worked very hard on it and it worked well for me at the time, so I had to try to keep it coming in my performances.
“The plan was to make sure that we knew exactly who is going to bowl at what stage and what field is going to be set.
“With the likes of Anrich Nortje and Ayabulela Gqamane helping out in that aspect of the game it gave me the freedom to do my job as best I could,” Nabe said.
Looking ahead to the longer format of the game, Nabe, who returned to Gqeberha from the bio-bubble in Durban at the weekend, said there was not too much of a shift in mindset, other than to be consistent, as was required in red ball cricket.
“Now it is just a matter of adapting and going back to the four-day part of the game where one needs to be consistent, bowl line and length, so we need to be adapting at all times,” he said.