CAPE TOWN - The Cape Cobras certainly haven’t done “boring” in this year’s Momentum One-Day Cup campaign.
Two brilliant victories have been spread with two dour performances that finds the Cobras sitting in third place, behind the Titans and Dolphins on the standings.
Erratic form can be expected from a young side, who are being led by an inexperienced captain (Dane Piedt) and coach (Ashwell Prince) who is in his first season in charge of a franchise. But the challenge is therefore to ensure that the basics are done properly.
And one of these basics, of course, is fielding. The Cobras - even during their trophy-laden years - were never a team that resembled a herd of gazelles prancing around the outfield, instead they always ensured their fielding was up to the required standard.
They lack the natural athleticism that some of the other teams in the competition possess, but the understanding must be there that the fielding effort often sets the tone for the rest of the game.
“We don’t play boring cricket, do we?” quipped opening batsman Omphile Ramela. “It’s either exciting last-over victories or we concede 400! Sometimes in all of this excitement, the basics are lost.
“Our side does lack mobility and are probably a few years older than some of the other teams, but we must use this experience to our advantage. If we do the basics right, get the energy right in the field, we’ll be right up here come the business end of the competition.”
The blueprint of previous successes achieved by the Cobras has also been the senior players’ ability to perform when the team needed it most. Veteran seamer Rory Kleinveldt did his part with both bat and ball in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday in the three-wicket win over the Dolphins, but Ramela’s consistency has also played a pivotal role.
The left-handed opener has put a disappointing Sunfoil Series campaign behind him and worked hard behind the scenes to contribute to his team’s One-Day Cup campaign. This has resulted in three half-centuries on the bounce, and although it hasn’t always come at the speed of knots, it has relieved some of the responsibility on his opening partner Richard Levi.
“When you’re chasing 400, there’s kind of no pressure in a way, as it allows you to play with a sense of freedom because you know that you have to keep the scoreboard moving along,” Ramela said.
“That got my season going, but I also know I don’t always have to race out the blocks because if Richie bats for any period (of) time we’re going at eight/nine runs to the over.
"He enjoys feeling bat on ball too, so I’m content to play the support role to get him back on strike instead of looking for the big shots too. I’m always working with coach (Prince) to get my strike-rate up to about 80-85 percent. That’s when I know I’m feeling good.”