Justin Ontong made a few reporters wait yesterday while he was busy in the nets.
But it was a good wait for a few impatient hacks who seemed to be more worried about what they were going to have for lunch than their approaching deadline.
Ontong, unaware that he was required for interviews, was having more than just a few throw-downs to dust off some of the cobwebs which gathered over the last few months on the Proteas tour of England and the recently completed Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
The new Cape Cobras skipper didn’t feature much, so he needs to get himself in some sort of form for his team’s Sunfoil Series match against the Warriors starting in Paarl tomorrow.
But it didn’t look like Ontong needed the extra work, as he found the middle of the bat when dealing with most of the balls that came his way. Some of his straight punches off the back foot thudded into the bottom of the net with immense force – a sign that his timing was as immaculate as always.
It was something special to behold from only a few feet away.
But the real reason for the elongated throw-downs was probably to get the feeling of batting for long periods again, especially after trying to hit the leather off every ball he faced in the nets and his limited time on the park in England and Sri Lanka.
“It’s going to be challenge to adapt again from the T20s going into four-day cricket,” Ontong told the Cape Times.
“But I have had a good preparation so far, just batting and batting for a couple of hours these past few days. And I know I will be going into this game well prepared, but hopefully my experience will also guide me through the tough situations.
“I’m just happy to be back, and looking forward to getting on the field and playing some cricket. It’s been a long two-and-a-half months away from home. And it was a little frustrating that I didn’t play all the time, but hopefully I can do a job for the Cobras.”
The Cobras will be further boosted by the return of the sensational Vernon Philander for the match against the Eastern Cape franchise in what is expected to be seamer-friendly conditions at Boland Park.
Philander had a bit of a break following his heroics in the Proteas’ Test series win over England. However, national captain Graeme Smith is still suffering from an injury and will not be available for this weekend’s clash.
And nobody will be more pleased by the return of the two Proteas stars than coach Paul Adams, who started his tenure as the Cobras trainer with a 10-wicket win over the Lions in Potchefstroom.
“We are gaining the new energy of Justin Ontong in the squad, while we also have the world’s second-best Test bowler back as well – the sensational Vernon Philander. It’s a real boost for the side,” Adams said.
“Ontong has been our most consistent player over the last few years, while Vern is hugely determined to start switching on, with a big tour of Australia on the horizon.”
Philander and Ontong are expected to be the only changes to the line-up that beat the Lions in their first game of the campaign. The second game against the Knights in Paarl was called off because of a wet outfield.
“I’ve been hearing good stories about the boys, and the work ethic is right up there. I’m really happy as the captain to see that, and the guys are really trying hard to improve. They set high standards, and I’m really excited to see where we are going to go this season,” Ontong said.
PROBABLE COBRAS LINE-UP
Andrew Puttick, Alistair Gray, Stiaan van Zyl, Justin Ontong (capt), Yaseen Vallie, Justin Kemp, Dane Vilas, Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt, Johann Louw, Dane Piedt.
WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
Dolphins v Knights (Pietermaritzburg, 9.30am), Cape Cobras v Warriors (Paarl, 10am).