Cape Town - The Cape Cobras could virtually secure a playoff spot in the One-Day Cup this weekend in a double-header against the Titans and Lions.
Paul Adams’ team are up in Benoni on Friday (2pm start) to take on the Titans at Willowmoore Park, and then return home to face the Lions at Boland Park in Paarl on Sunday (10am start).
The Cobras are sitting pretty at the top of the log with four wins out of six matches for a total haul of 19 points, one ahead of the Warriors, who have played a game extra.
With four matches left over the next two weeks before the playoffs, the Cobras will be targeting a double success this weekend to clinch one of the top-three places on the standings.
But after ending third and losing the playoff qualifier in dramatic fashion in the T20 Challenge late last year, the Cobras would want to avoid a similar situation and hold on to the number-one position and direct entry to a home final at Newlands.
“Key games always against the Titans and Lions. These two teams are rallying for those positions at the top, and with us sitting at the top there, it’s important that we play our consistent cricket that we have in this competition. It’s a competition that we pride ourselves on and we have played good cricket over the last couple of years,” Adams said on Thursday.
The Cobras have been experiencing an upward curve in 2016 after the T20 defeat to the Dolphins and subsequent thrashings by the Knights and Titans in the four-day Sunfoil Series in December.
They are unbeaten in the New Year – in the four-dayers, they’ve drawn with the Lions in Paarl, and emerged victorious against the Warriors and Dolphins away from home.
With the resumption of the One-Day Cup last week, the Cobras secured a bonus-point win over the Dolphins at Newlands.
“We have been playing good cricket in 2016, and when it comes to 50-over cricket, that base starts in four-dayers. You’ve got to achieve those sound basics and execute it in a one-day game,” said Adams.
And despite missing the experienced trio of Richard Levi, Robin Peterson and Rory Kleinveldt – who are playing in the Masters Champions League in the UAE – the Cobras will be strengthened by the return of all-rounder Wayne Parnell from injury and wicket-keeper Dane Vilas from SA ‘A’ duty.
JP Duminy, who was the Man of the Match against the Dolphins last week with 68 runs and 2/19 with the ball, is of course with the Proteas ODI side in their five-match series against England.
It will be interesting to see whether Parnell is employed as an opening batsman once again after he enjoyed stunning success at the top of the order in the T20 Challenge. But Andrew Puttick and Stiaan van Zyl put on 116 for the first wicket last week against the Dolphins, so Adams may stick with the experienced pair in Benoni on Friday.
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