Publications
Partners
Cape Town - The Cape Cobras will be without fast bowler Vernon Philander for what coach Paul Adams expects will be a seam-friendly Sunfoil Series affair against the Warriors at Newlands.
With Cape Town receiving a heavy dose of rain in the four days leading up to Thursday’s encounter, Adams expects the seamers to benefit and so Philander would have been an extremely handy addition to the side now that his Proteas duties have concluded.
However, the paceman has been granted compassionate leave due to a death in his family, leaving Adams to ponder whether he should change the make-up of his bowling attack, which included two spinners in the last outing.
“We might look to tweak it, but I prefer to make a call on the morning of the game,” said Adams.
“I think conditions will aid seam very much with all the moisture around, especially as there hasn’t been much sun in the last few days.”
The Cobras will go into the clash with the same squad that lost to the Knights two weeks ago - a result that has left the fate of the Sunfoil Series very much in the balance.
The Knights now trail the Cobras by less than five points with two rounds of matches remaining, and the Warriors feel that they are in good form after their 174-run victory over the Highveld Lions two weeks ago.
“We’re also excited to go and play at Newlands because we haven’t played there since 2008, I think,” said Warriors coach Piet Botha. “We’ve always played our four-day cricket in Paarl, so that’s a new challenge for us.”
Off-spinner Simon Harmer will return to the Warriors side after serving his one-match suspension, and will come in for Colin Ingram, who is sitting out following the birth of his child.
With Cape Town receiving a heavy dose of rain in the four days leading up to Thursday’s encounter, Adams expects the seamers to benefit and so Philander would have been an extremely handy addition to the side now that his Proteas duties have concluded.
However, the paceman has been granted compassionate leave due to a death in his family, leaving Adams to ponder whether he should change the make-up of his bowling attack, which included two spinners in the last outing.
“We might look to tweak it, but I prefer to make a call on the morning of the game,” said Adams.
“I think conditions will aid seam very much with all the moisture around, especially as there hasn’t been much sun in the last few days.”
The Cobras will go into the clash with the same squad that lost to the Knights two weeks ago - a result that has left the fate of the Sunfoil Series very much in the balance.
The Knights now trail the Cobras by less than five points with two rounds of matches remaining, and the Warriors feel that they are in good form after their 174-run victory over the Highveld Lions two weeks ago.
“We’re also excited to go and play at Newlands because we haven’t played there since 2008, I think,” said Warriors coach Piet Botha. “We’ve always played our four-day cricket in Paarl, so that’s a new challenge for us.”
Off-spinner Simon Harmer will return to the Warriors side after serving his one-match suspension, and will come in for Colin Ingram, who is sitting out following the birth of his child.
