One Day Cup
Knights hope for fair weather
2012-11-26 20:38
Sarel Cilliers (Gallo Images)
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Kimberley - The Knights, after yet
another rain-affected match, are looking to build some sort of momentum when
they host the Titans at the De Beers Diamond Oval on Wednesday, as they
head into the business end of the One Day Cup.
“Rain is one of those things that you can’t
control, but obviously there is something about us playing in Durban or
Maritzburg,” coach Sarel Cilliers bemoaned of the Knights’ abandoned
clash against the Dolphins on Sunday.
Aside from the rain, the Knights
have also been hit hard by injuries, as well as the recent call-ups to the
national team of both Dean Elgar and Ryan McLaren. This follows injuries to
Morné van Wyk and Reeza Hendricks at the top of the order.
“We’ve now used four captains this season,
and we will have to find another one for Wednesday. But, you know, it’s always
a good thing if players are being called up, so we wish them the best of luck
if they get a chance to perform,” Cilliers conceded.
“We will have to give a few youngsters a
chance in a pressure environment, but that is the only way that they will
develop as players. We have to win every game from here on, and that in a way
makes it easier for us, because there are no ifs and buts,” Cilliers declared.
For the Titans, life is a lot
simpler. Their emphatic, seven-wicket win over the Warriors on Sunday
suggested that they are peaking just in time for the crucial stage of the
round-robin fixtures.
“Sunday was definitely our best team
performance this season,” top-order stalwart Henry Davids pointed out. “It’s
important that we click now, and I think we are in very good nick coming into
these next few fixtures.”
Davids has been in decent form himself,
notching 161 runs at a strike rate of 83, setting his side on the way with some
sparkling knocks at the top of the innings. “I feel in good form, and it’s
always nice to get the guys off to a quick start when the field is up and the
ball is still brand new.”
Davids also acknowledged that the itans had been lucky to avoid the bad weather that has seemingly followed
teams like the Knights around all season.
“It can’t be easy for them, but weather is
one of those unfortunate things that you can’t control. Touch wood, it hasn’t
affected any of our matches and hopefully that continues. It helps when you can
play a full game, because then you can go for bonus points, which can make a
big difference at the end.”
Davids said he and his team-mates had also
followed events in Adelaide closely on Monday morning.
“It was our day off, and some of us were on
the golf course. We were following the game on Cricinfo very closely, and we
are so proud of what Faf and the boys achieved.”
The Titans will look to get back
into second place with a win in Kimberley. But their hosts, just a point adrift
in the standings, will also have an eye on the No 2 spot.
Play at the De Beers Diamond Oval starts at 15:00 on Wednesday.