Gallo Images

John Goliath

CAPTAIN Justin Kemp is set to move up the Cape Cobras’ batting order for tonight’s much-anticipated Twenty20 opener against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth.

After international call-ups stripped the Cape side of regular top-order batsmen Richard Levi, JP Duminy and Justin Ontong for the start of the Proteas’ trip to New Zealand, it seems like big-hitting all-rounder Kemp will come to the crease earlier than usual to add some experience to his team’s top-order.

In last season’s competition, in which the Cobras beat the Warriors in the final at Newlands, Kemp played a few gems to take his team home at the death. But with a few T20 debutants coming into the squad, he will be expected to bat for longer periods, something he is relishing.

“The senior batsmen will have to take responsibility, and that means guys like me will have to face more overs,” Kemp told the Cape Times yesterday.

“But it’s a nice opportunity for the guys down the order to bat for a long time. Normally we just have to come in and look for boundaries. Now there’s a little more time to play ourselves in.”

The Cobras middle-order, though, still boasts lots of experience with Proteas wicket-keeper Mark Boucher, English professional Owais Shah and Dane Vilas, who also played a few top knocks for the franchise last season.

The likes of Yaseen Vallie and Stiaan van Zyl, though, will also want to show their class while Levi and the in-form Ontong are away for the T20 and the one-day international series against the Black Caps.

The Cobras and the Warriors will have to adapt to the shortest version of the game after only a three-day turnaround from last weekend’s SuperSport Series action.

“It’s quite a quick turnaround from four-day cricket, but it’s going to be the same for both teams,” Kemp said. “I don’t think it will be a problem, because both teams have played enough cricket to adapt. This is the nature of the game these days.”

The Cobras were, of course, beaten to the four-day trophy by the Titans in the last match of the season. The Warriors didn’t have the greatest time in that competition, but they featured in the T20 final last season and won the tournament the season before that.

Kemp says the Warriors’ bowling unit has been their biggest strength over the last few seasons. However, the Eastern Cape side will be without Rusty Theron, who has been one of the outstanding T20 bowlers with his variations and brilliant death-bowling, as well as fellow Proteas Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Veteran Makhaya Ntini, however, is set to lead the Warriors’ attack.

“They have always had a really good bowling attack who bowl well at St George’s Park. They will be without a few key bowlers, but they still have plenty of quality,” Kemp said. “We have had some good battles with them over the last few seasons. So we expect another tough match.”

As far as the Warriors’ batting is concerned, they are still without inspirational captain Davy Jacobs. Although the explosive top-order batsman has recovered well after hip surgery, he is not yet deemed fit enough to open the batting with Ashwell Prince tonight.

Veteran left-arm spinner Nicky Bojé will take over the captaincy for the next few matches. Prince will probably open the batting with the hard-hitting Jon-Jon Smuts, while the elegant Arno Jacobs will lend stability to the middle-order, which also includes power-hitters such as Craig Thyssen and Kelly Smuts.