Low Knights face Cobras in last 1-Day Cup hurdle
by Chumani Bambani,
2016-02-16 05:00:00.0
THE Knights have already claimed the wooden spoon in the Ram Slam Twenty20 and look set to add another in the domestic Momentum 1-Day Cup.
The Knights have a final chance at least to end their limited-overs season on a positive note with an upset when they take on table-toppers the Cape Cobras in Bloemfontein today.
Only pride will be at stake for the Free State side that has laboured through the season.
Besides unsatisfactory results, the Knights never showed signs of being a settled team, particularly with changing coaches in the season.
Former player Nicky Bojé took over from Sarel Cilliers as interim coach in October only to vacate the position in December to participate in the Masters Champions League T20 event alongside a host of former international stars in the United Arab Emirates.
Allan Donald then guided the team as head coach.
A win over the Cobras, which has booked a spot in the final of the 50-overs competition, could save the Knights some blushes, provided the Titans, who are second from bottom, suffer defeat against the Highveld Lions tomorrow.
"Pretty much the only thing left to play for is to win the last game in Bloem and avoid finishing bottom of the table. We haven’t had a great campaign," Donald said yesterday.
"So we are going to have to try and step up and play a much better game against a very strong Cobras team, and make sure we salvage some pride."
The Cobras will go into the match without opening batsman Andrew Puttick, who was handed a two-match ban (with one match suspended for a calendar year) for "serious dissent over an umpire’s decision".
With the spot in the final already confirmed, Cobras coach Paul Adams is expected to make a number of changes, allowing his first-choice charges time to rest ahead of the February 28 title decider.
"We’ve got a few changes, a couple of guys that are having breaks. So we’re having a good look at some of our youth. It’s an opportunity in that sense," Adams said. "You rarely get these opportunities to have a look at players, so we’re trying to use this window. It’s a nice chance and we don’t think it will disrupt us at all."
The Lions will take on the Warriors in a playoff on February 24 as the second and third-placed sides battle it out for the remaining place in the final.
Picture: THINKSTOCK
THE Knights have already claimed the wooden spoon in the Ram Slam Twenty20 and look set to add another in the domestic Momentum 1-Day Cup.
The Knights have a final chance at least to end their limited-overs season on a positive note with an upset when they take on table-toppers the Cape Cobras in Bloemfontein today.
Only pride will be at stake for the Free State side that has laboured through the season.
Besides unsatisfactory results, the Knights never showed signs of being a settled team, particularly with changing coaches in the season.
Former player Nicky Bojé took over from Sarel Cilliers as interim coach in October only to vacate the position in December to participate in the Masters Champions League T20 event alongside a host of former international stars in the United Arab Emirates.
Allan Donald then guided the team as head coach.
A win over the Cobras, which has booked a spot in the final of the 50-overs competition, could save the Knights some blushes, provided the Titans, who are second from bottom, suffer defeat against the Highveld Lions tomorrow.
"Pretty much the only thing left to play for is to win the last game in Bloem and avoid finishing bottom of the table. We haven’t had a great campaign," Donald said yesterday.
"So we are going to have to try and step up and play a much better game against a very strong Cobras team, and make sure we salvage some pride."
The Cobras will go into the match without opening batsman Andrew Puttick, who was handed a two-match ban (with one match suspended for a calendar year) for "serious dissent over an umpire’s decision".
With the spot in the final already confirmed, Cobras coach Paul Adams is expected to make a number of changes, allowing his first-choice charges time to rest ahead of the February 28 title decider.
"We’ve got a few changes, a couple of guys that are having breaks. So we’re having a good look at some of our youth. It’s an opportunity in that sense," Adams said. "You rarely get these opportunities to have a look at players, so we’re trying to use this window. It’s a nice chance and we don’t think it will disrupt us at all."
The Lions will take on the Warriors in a playoff on February 24 as the second and third-placed sides battle it out for the remaining place in the final.
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