DURBAN – Durban Heat coach Grant Morgan insists they are not panicking ahead of their crunch Mzansi Super League (MSL) showdown against the Paarl Rocks at Kingsmead on Wednesday.
The hosts have won one out of three in the competition to sit in fourth place on the competition log.
They share the same record as their visitors, with the clash in Durban especially important for Morgan’s players as they have largely looked under par thus far.
However, the coach sees things differently and feels, bar the results, his star-studded squad have shown plenty of promise in the MSL.
Contrary to his comments, however, they are the only side to have no batsman to have reached 50, although Morgan remains optimistic about their batting and overall game.
“If you analyse things properly, you will see that we’ve been okay,” he said. “You obviously want more, but if you look at the circumstance in each game it tells a different story.
“So, I tell the Durban people and our fans, we’re not supporting any mediocrity. But if we’re going to panic after three games, when the next win in fact puts most of the teams in a similar range, I would not be worth my value as a cricket coach.
“We’ll continue striving for improvement and hopefully we’ll see a better result come Wednesday.”
Durban Heat bowler Keshav Maharaj at the press conference on Tuesday. Photo: @durban_heat on twitter
The Heat have been boosted by news that Albie Morkel’s injury suffered in the last game is not as bad as initially feared and he will be in contention to play. A late fitness test will determine whether the captain will take his place in the XI.
“He’s very bullish about his chances and, in his mind, he wants to play,” Morgan added. “We’ve seen what he gives us on and off the field, he’s back in Durban, he’s been given the green light, so we’ll make a late call on whether he plays.”
Zimbabwean spin star Brandon Mavuta is also available and could feature.
⚒ Fine tuning ahead of our @MSL_T20 encounter with @Paarl_Rocks tomorrow!💪 #MSLT20 #HeatUp🔥 pic.twitter.com/hXlKbVObHj
— Durban Heat (@durban_heat) November 27, 2018
The Rocks won their first game of the season on Sunday to move off the foot of the table.
Bolstered by the return of SA captain, Faf du Plessis, who is also leading them, they stunned the Cape Town Blitz and, in the process, handed them a first loss of the campaign in their fifth match.
The national skipper hopes to now build on that showing on the east coast.
“Every team you look at on paper looks a really good side,” he said. “T20 cricket is a lot about momentum and it was really important for us to change that momentum around in the last game.
“If you look at the leaders they won four from four and they rode that wave nicely. We need to do that now, we can’t be getting too excited about the one win, we need to work hard again ahead of the next game and hopefully deliver another good performance.”