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Cape Town - It was a disappointing performance by the Cape Cobras against the Titans at Newlands.
Quite a few players will have to do soul-searching about their failures, said Ashwell Prince, Cobra's assistant coach.
He was approached after the Titans romped to a win by an innings and 50 runs at Newlands in the Sunfoil Series clash between the defending champions and the Cape Cobras.
The Cobras scored 235 runs in their first innings and 115 in the second as the leg-spinner Shaun von Berg finished with a match-haul of 10/113 for the Centurion-based visitors.
Prince was impressed by the effort from Stiaan van Zyl who struck 65 and an unbeaten 32 against the Titans.
He added that the stylish top-order batsman could have capitalised on one of his half-centuries the past three games. He struck 83 against the Knights and 65 against the Titans.
The former Protea middle-order champion said all the players and members of the management staff need to accept responsibility for the defeat and look in the mirror.
“I believe 99 percent of the game is mental, and obviously, after a string of defeats, the team will be low on confidence.
“But the only thing a cricketer requires, is opportunity. There is only one place where you can remedy things, and that is not in the board room, in the change room or the nets. You must go and fix it in the middle,” Prince said.
Prince implied that one or two players might find themselves under pressure after some low scores for the Cape Cobras, “Remember, there are some good players currently not in the Cape Cobras squad. Pieter Malan has completed two double tons, and he is knocking on the door,” he said.
The assistant coach said Justin Ontong looked good while he was there with his 45 in the first innings against the Titans. He brings a wealth of experience to the team and he could be a key factor for the rest of the season.
The Cobras are in desperate need of a win against the Dolphins at Boland Park in Paarl as the fifth Sunfoil Series match of the season offers them an opportunity to break their duck of wins and kick-start something special. The match starts on Thursday 3rd November.
