Johannesburg – If the Highveld Lions are going to be in the play-off mix in the RamSlam T20 Challenge, then it’s crucial their batsmen produce an improved display when they face the Dolphins at the Wanderers on Sunday afternoon.
It may be a stretch to suggest that the Lions’ bowlers have carried the team in the competition thus far, but the batsmen have certainly left their bowling teammates with a lot to do in recent weeks. In the first two matches the batsmen, led by the top three; Rassie van der Dussen, Devon Conway and Alviro Petersen provided excellent starts that enabled the Lions to chase down the Cobras’ target of 125 in their opening game and then they came up one run short of the Dolphins’ 174 runs in their second match.
Since then, the batting has struggled, ostensibly owing to the top three not producing substantial partnerships. The Lions have acknowledged their middle order flaws. Skipper Thami Tsolekile and coach Geoffrey Toyana have pointed to the inexperience of players like André Malan and Shaylen Pillay as playing a part in the Lions being unable to post big totals.
Halfway through the league phase of the competition however, those players need to start repaying the faith Tsolekile and Toyana have showed in them. Van der Dussen has been the Lions’ best batsman in the competition so far with an aggregate of 173 runs that has included two 50s. Conway is the only other Lions batsman with an aggregate over 100 runs – he has scored 128 runs in five innings – and as a result the Lions have been reliant on their bowlers to keep them in matches.
Fortunately they have been superb, led by spin twins Eddie Leie and Aaron Phangiso. The latter has the competition’s best economy rate (average runs conceded per over) of 4.84 and is tied with leg-spinner Leie on nine wickets for the third-most this season behind the Warriors’ Sisanda Magala (10) and the Titans’ Chris Morris (12).
The Dolphins will be searching to regain some confidence after copping a mauling against the Titans in Durban last week when they were bowled out for 70 in a 66-run loss. Their match on Friday against the Warriors in East London was rained out, so they will be unsure of themselves as they take to the Wanderers today – something the Lions will be keen to take advantage of.
The departure of Kevin Pietersen – who leads the competition’s run-scoring charts with an aggregate of 364 – appears to have highlighted some shortcomings in their batting line-up, something the Titans and the Cobras exploited in their wins against the Dolphins last week.
Morné van Wyk was dismissed early in both matches and no one else has been able to lend their best player, Dave Miller, the necessary support in the middle order. If the Lions can strike early, they know that in Leie and Phangiso they have the two bowlers best able to create pressure on the Dolphins middle order and therein may lay the winning of the game for the hosts.
Today’s fixtures
Cobras v Knights, Paarl (12pm)
Lions v Dolphins, Wanderers (4pm)