Two of Gelvandale’s favourite sons will go head-to-head from Wednesday to decide the destination of the CSA 4-Day Series cricket title.
Warriors coach Robin Peterson and his Lions counterpart Russell Domingo have been lifelong friends, and their cricketing paths have been intertwined for over three decades.
Peterson remembers how he and Domingo used to play street cricket with the likes of Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Garnett Kruger, and Shafiek Abrahams.
When Peterson made his debut in the EP B-side, Domingo was his coach. When he played SA U19, Domingo was his mentor.
And then when he made the Proteas, yes, Domingo was his coach there too.
It’s no secret that they are very close, and Domingo says they speak to each other almost daily, but sometimes their bond is volatile and competitive.
But there has always been a deep mutual respect.
There’s no doubt that when the 4-Day Series final, being played over five days, starts at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in midweek, the competitive juices will pump through the veins of both coaches.
With the Betway SA20 taking centre stage among SA fans in recent seasons, domestic cricket has flown under the radar.
But for those who have not been to watch, the Warriors have produced attractive cricket under Peterson this season and have already collected the CSA T20 Challenge back in November.
Matthew Breetzke, Jordan Herman, Matthew Boast, Duanne Olivier, Senuran Muthusamy, and Patrick Kruger have all played a telling role in the Warriors reaching the showdown.
And there will be a hunger in the team to collect a trophy that the Warriors have never lifted in the franchise series.
Domingo won the MTN40 and the Standard Bank Pro20 with the Warriors in the 2009-10 season, but red-ball silverware has eluded the region since the days of Kepler Wessels’ Eastern Province teams in the late 80s and early 90s.
They have come close at times under various coaches, but have never been able to seal the deal.
Peterson will be determined to reward a province that presented him with many opportunities and return with a second trophy for the season.
But he knows his wise old pal Domingo is already plotting and scheming ways to derail his team, and Peterson will need to ensure that he is a step ahead all the way.
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