Bring on the big dogs, says Aaron
Boxing belters THE message from skipper Aaron Phangiso to his Highveld Lions team before a mouth-watering clash with the Titans in the T20 Challenge was simple: “There is only one team (today), that’s us, we are going there to do one thing, and that’s collect points. That’s it.”
Phangiso said he was hoping rumours about that AB de Villiers would play today would prove true, because Phangiso wanted to face, “AB, Faf (du Plessis) and (Chris) Morris, all their big dogs. We will rock up there and just collect points.”
However, De Villiers was not included in the Titans’ squad for tonight’s SuperSport Park encounter after giving his surgically repaired elbow its first full batting session at training yesterday.
Having qualified for the play-offs, the Titans may hold off on De Villiers’s return until those matches next week.
Phangiso’s bullishness stems from the Lions’ run of form that has seen them win their last three matches.
Their win over the Warriors in Durban on Sunday, coupled with a victory for the Cape Cobras over the Dolphins, has squeezed the table.
The Titans and Warriors seem assured of a play-off spot, but the Lions, Cobras and Dolphins are separated by four points in the final week of the league phase.
The Lions have cottoned on to a good rhythm stemming from finding the right balance to their starting 11.
They are able to accommodate three seamers, led by Hardus Viljoen, and three spinners, led by Phangiso, and that spin combination has proved key to the Lions’ success.
In the last three matches Phangiso, Bjorn Fortuin and Eddie Leie have bowled over half the overs for the Lions and conceded runs at a rate of 7.18 per over, while picking up a combined 12 wickets.
“We complement each other well,” Phangiso said yesterday.
“We have three quality spinners. Bjorn is a youngster, but he belongs at this level. A lot of times I’m controlling things in the middle, taking wickets, but now teams are more careful when I bowl. In terms of the make-up – I’m going at six an over, Bjorn is doing the same and he’s picking up wickets. Teams are trying to target him as the youngster, but he’s actually the destroyer.”
Fortuin is the most successful spinner in the competition, with nine wickets, and an economy rate of 7.73 runs an over.
Although leg-spinner Leie has been inconsistent, Phangiso also recognises that he needs confidence and hopes the boost of claiming 3/28 against the Warriors on Sunday will carry through to tonight’s encounter.
“He’s not been at his best but we back him, we know what he’s capable of.”
While the Lions have been on the rise, the Titans have had a mini-slump, losing their last two matches. Nevertheless, having had time to reflect since their loss last Friday to the Warriors, they will want to prove a point against their provincial neighbours.
For the Titans there is also still plenty at stake in the league phase with first place – and an automatic spot in the final which that team will host – still up for grabs.
They lead the Warriors by just a point, and although missing De Villiers, boast a batting order that includes the competition’s joint leading run-scorer in Farhaan Behardien, and experienced campaigners in skipper Albie Morkel, Heino Kuhn and Henry Davids.
That battle between the batting line-ups is intriguing.
The Lions have a settled, in-form top three in Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks and Mangaliso Mosehle. The Titans’ strength lies in the middle order where Behardien, Morkel and David Wiese are great finishers.