The basher in Richard Levi, or the workmanlike Andrew Puttick? That is the hard choice facing Paul Adams for Sunday’s One-Day Cup final against the Lions at Newlands.
The Cobras announced a 14-man squad on Thursday, which doesn’t include Proteas stars such as Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and Dale Steyn (who will play club cricket for WPCC on Saturday).
But they’ve had a settled unit in their charge to the final, having won seven out of 10 matches to top the log and qualify directly for the decider.
Geoffrey Toyana’s Lions ended second, and had to get past the Warriors by eight wickets on Wednesday in the qualifier to make it to Newlands on Sunday.
But with Levi having returned from the Master Champions League in Dubai last week, he is available for the One-Day Cup final and will probably compete with Puttick for the one opening batsman slot, as Wayne Parnell has been operating at the other end.
Puttick has been a consistent performer at the top of the order in the One-Day Cup, with 254 runs in six matches at an average of 50.80, and has given the Cobras solid starts when Parnell has been dismissed early.
Levi, though, is able to win you games when he’s blade is on song, and scores at a much quicker rate than Puttick, whose strike-rate is 71.34.
The other option for Adams is to play both Levi and Puttick. Parnell had an excellent RamSlam T20 campaign with the bat, but has been less successful in the 50-over format.
So he could possibly drop down the batting order, but that will mean that one of Beuran Hendricks, Dane Paterson or even off-spinner Dane Piedt missing out. All three have been in excellent form, but Adams will have to make the tough decision on Sunday morning, when play starts at 10am.
Cape Cobras Squad
Andrew Puttick, Richard Levi, Wayne Parnell, Omphile Ramela, Stiaan van Zyl, Justin Ontong (captain), Dane Vilas (WK), Aviwe Mgijima, Dane Piedt, Dane Paterson, Tshepo Moreki, Beuran Hendricks, Jason Smith, Keegan Petersen.
@IndyCapeSport