Can the 2016-17 season come to a merciful close for the Cape Cobras already?
After all the dramas around head coach Paul Adams at the beginning of the season, which dragged on until the end of the year, it was hoped the dark cloud would clear when former Proteas batsman Ashwell Prince replaced Adams and spin bowler Dane Piedt was appointed captain across all formats.
Prince, who was renowned for his work ethic and discipline as a player, automatically had the respect of all and he immediately got stuck into his task.
Along with Piedt’s tactical awareness and charismatic personality, the Cobras seemed to have the perfect “fire and ice” combination to turn things around at Newlands.
It certainly seemed that way at the start of 2017, with the Cobras finishing the Sunfoil Series strongly with three victories from five starts, to even make a late bid for the title before finishing in a creditable third position. Considering the chaos before the pair took over, it was a near miracle and the equivalent of steering the Titanic around the iceberg.
Throughout this period of success Prince, who is in his first official head coaching job, maintained that it was a “honeymoon period” and that there was lots of work still ahead. Such level-headedness stems only from having experienced the highs and lows of the game over the course of a 66-match Test career and knowing that plenty of work still needed to be done with this Cobras team.
Prince’s worst fears came home to roost on a desparate night in Paarl on Wednesday evening. With his team to some degree rectifying the batting faults from the previous outing at Boland Park, the Cobras set the Dolphins a record total to chase down at the picturesque venue.
And after the spin trio – including new loan signing Eddie Leie – produced a sterling effort to virtually close out the match, the Cobras fielders and death bowlers let control slip out of their clutches. That should never have happened.
To lose is one thing, but it was more the manner of the defeat that would have left everyone at Boland Park, especially Prince and skipper Piedt, shocked.
Straightforward catches were spilled, no-balls and wides aplenty were sent down, fielders allowed balls to trickle through their legs for boundaries, and there was simply no intensity in the outfield, with the result that the Dolphins turned regulation singles into two’s.
But that was not even the most disturbing aspect. After every over there was a conference out in the middle, with a group of senior players seemingly overruling Piedt’s decisions, while in between balls there were plenty of arms waving from too many people, often causing confusion among the fielders about their correct positions.
Piedt is a young captain and no doubt values the input of his senior lieutenants, but requires more their support than having his judgment questioned after every delivery.
The Cobras still have four matches left in the One-Day Cup. There is still a slim chance of progressing to the playoffs, but that should not be the goal right now.
Instead, the focus should change towards bringing through younger players who will form the core of the future in the Cape.
With Richard Levi, Stiaan van Zyl and Dane Vilas all on Kolpak contracts in the English county championship and possibly Omphile Ramela also seeking greener pastures on the Highveld next season, a changing of the guard is on the cards at Newlands.
Youngsters such as Jason Smith (currently injured), Zubayr Hamza, wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, Cebo Tshiki and Dayyaan Galiem need to be blooded sooner rather than later to ensure a fresh culture is born in the Cobras side.
The Cobras are a proud franchise. Titles and trophies have been won by the bucket-load since 2009, while the Cape has also been a production house for future Proteas.
Many of those players responsible for Wednesday evening’s debacle were once core contributors to the earlier successes. But if the heart and desire is no longer there to represent the Cobras, there need to be consequences.