As the Cricket SA One-Day Cup heads into an exciting final weekend, several permutations remain in play.
However, the bottom line for the Dafabet Warriors is clear — they must secure a victory against the Lions at St George’s Park on Sunday (10am) to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Led by opening bowler Beyers Swanepoel, the Eastern Province franchise stayed in contention with a hard-fought 19-run win over Western Province at St George’s Park on Wednesday.
That result has created a three-way tie for second place, with the Warriors, Knights and Titans all sitting on 16 points, separated only by net run rate.
Boland, on 21 points, have already secured a playoff spot, but the final standings will be decided in Sunday’s last round of fixtures.
The team finishing at the top of the log will automatically qualify for the final, while the second- and third-placed sides will battle in an eliminator next Wednesday to determine the other finalist.
Adding to the complexity of the playoff race, the Knights and the Dolphins, who have 11 points, each have two matches remaining, while all other teams have just one.
The Knights and Dolphins face off in Durban on Friday, a crucial fixture that will further shape the standings.
After his match-winning spell of 4/9 on Wednesday, Swanepoel emphasised the importance of Sunday’s clash against the Lions.
“We know it’s a must-win game, so we’re not overly concerned about what happens elsewhere,” he said.
“Our focus is on delivering our best performance against the Lions to keep our playoff chances alive.
“The mood in the camp is positive.
“It was great to fight back against WP and take those key wickets at the end to seal the win.
“At St George’s you can’t afford to be too short or too full — it’s all about finding the right length.
“Once I got that, I just stuck to my rhythm.”
Western Province, chasing 224 for victory, seemed well-placed at 160/4, but their lower order crumbled under pressure, losing six wickets for just 44 runs in nine overs.
While the Warriors’ batting line-up showed promise in their opening match, posting a massive 343/2 against the Dolphins, consistency has been lacking.
“Our batting unit haven’t quite clicked as a collective yet,” Swanepoel admitted.
“But we know we have the potential to build big partnerships.
“It’s just about focusing on the basics against the Lions.”
Current points standings (matches played and net run rate in brackets): 1 Boland — 21 points (6 matches, 0.56), 2 Knights — 16 points (5, 1.31), 3 Titans — 16 points (6, 0.88), 4 Warriors — 16 points (6, 0.19), 5 Dolphins — 11 points (5, 0.19), 6 Lions — 10 points (6, -0.51), 7 NW Dragons — 9 points (6, -1.31), 8 WP — 5 points (6, -1.12)
Remaining fixtures:
Friday: Dolphins vs Knights, Sunday: Boland vs WP, Warriors vs Lions, Knights vs Titans, Dragons vs Dolphins
The Herald
Warriors face must-win clash against Lions
Image: SYDNEY SESHIBEDI/GALLO IMAGES
As the Cricket SA One-Day Cup heads into an exciting final weekend, several permutations remain in play.
However, the bottom line for the Dafabet Warriors is clear — they must secure a victory against the Lions at St George’s Park on Sunday (10am) to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Led by opening bowler Beyers Swanepoel, the Eastern Province franchise stayed in contention with a hard-fought 19-run win over Western Province at St George’s Park on Wednesday.
That result has created a three-way tie for second place, with the Warriors, Knights and Titans all sitting on 16 points, separated only by net run rate.
Boland, on 21 points, have already secured a playoff spot, but the final standings will be decided in Sunday’s last round of fixtures.
The team finishing at the top of the log will automatically qualify for the final, while the second- and third-placed sides will battle in an eliminator next Wednesday to determine the other finalist.
Adding to the complexity of the playoff race, the Knights and the Dolphins, who have 11 points, each have two matches remaining, while all other teams have just one.
The Knights and Dolphins face off in Durban on Friday, a crucial fixture that will further shape the standings.
After his match-winning spell of 4/9 on Wednesday, Swanepoel emphasised the importance of Sunday’s clash against the Lions.
“We know it’s a must-win game, so we’re not overly concerned about what happens elsewhere,” he said.
“Our focus is on delivering our best performance against the Lions to keep our playoff chances alive.
“The mood in the camp is positive.
“It was great to fight back against WP and take those key wickets at the end to seal the win.
“At St George’s you can’t afford to be too short or too full — it’s all about finding the right length.
“Once I got that, I just stuck to my rhythm.”
Western Province, chasing 224 for victory, seemed well-placed at 160/4, but their lower order crumbled under pressure, losing six wickets for just 44 runs in nine overs.
While the Warriors’ batting line-up showed promise in their opening match, posting a massive 343/2 against the Dolphins, consistency has been lacking.
“Our batting unit haven’t quite clicked as a collective yet,” Swanepoel admitted.
“But we know we have the potential to build big partnerships.
“It’s just about focusing on the basics against the Lions.”
Current points standings (matches played and net run rate in brackets): 1 Boland — 21 points (6 matches, 0.56), 2 Knights — 16 points (5, 1.31), 3 Titans — 16 points (6, 0.88), 4 Warriors — 16 points (6, 0.19), 5 Dolphins — 11 points (5, 0.19), 6 Lions — 10 points (6, -0.51), 7 NW Dragons — 9 points (6, -1.31), 8 WP — 5 points (6, -1.12)
Remaining fixtures:
Friday: Dolphins vs Knights, Sunday: Boland vs WP, Warriors vs Lions, Knights vs Titans, Dragons vs Dolphins
The Herald
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