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Cape Town - Omphile Ramela and Justin Ontong will be the Cape Cobras’ two leaders in the upcoming 2015/16 season.
Ramela, the Cobras’ leading run-scorer in the domestic showpiece last season, will lead the Western Cape-franchise in the four-day Sunfoil Series, while Ontong will continue to wear the captain’s armband in limited-overs formats, notably the One Day Cup and T20 Challenge.
Ramela, 27, was prolific with the bat the past six months, hammering two centuries and a double ton in his last five first-class appearances.
His electrifying 54 off 34 also powered the Cape Cobras to T20 silverware in December 2014 as the Cobras finished with a flourish.
“The decision taken to appoint Omphile as the skipper in the four-day competition was taken in joint consultation with (coach) Paul Adams and Justin, a vastly experienced duo who have been at the helm of most of the Cape Cobras’ trophy-success the past four years,” said Nabeal Dien, chief executive officer of the Cape Cobras.
“We will be forever indebted to the sterling contribution made by Justin as captain in the four-day competition and the legacy he has left in this format with bat and as lead-from-the-front-skipper,” Dien added.
Adams explained the decision announce a new four-day captain.
“The vote of confidence in Omphile was taken firmly with the future in mind, as we believe he can realistically lead the Cobras for a number of years.
“Justin is arguably in the twilight of his remarkable career, but we believe his contributions in all three formats are indispensable and can guide the Cobras to more titles.
“Justin has played a significant leadership role in the dominant limited-overs performances by the Cape Cobras, and their cup-success at Newlands the past few years. We hope to continue in this vain under his astute leadership in the shorter formats.
“We believe Omphile will lead from the front. He embraces the work-ethic that has been synonymous with Cape Cobras-excellence the past five years.
“His wealth of experience, shrewd cricket awareness, renowned leadership skills and sound interpersonal relationships will benefit him richly in the new role,” said Adams.
Ramela has scored 129, 202*, 14, 112, 30 and 7 in his past five matches, a testimony to his new-found batting maturity. He has scored 3 470 runs in 76 matches.
He also slammed 112 on debut for South Africa ‘A’ against India ‘A’ in August.
The stylish left-hander, who has enrolled in a Masters-degree in Economics, is blessed with linguistic talent, as he speaks five languages.
