CAPE TOWN. – The pretenders to the throne made impressions during two practice games at Newlands on Tuesday, but Justin Ontong, the Nashua Cape Cobras captain, warned that the Nashua Cape Cobras’s skills in the shortest format are still a work in progress, and they need to improve by 30 % in order to get off to a flying start in the RAM SLAM T20 competition.
The Cobras kick-start their RAM SLAM T20 Challenge against The Unlimited Titans at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.
Three young players, Pieter Malan, Clyde Fortuin and Yaseen Vallie, underlined their undoubted talent during the T20-practice games on Tuesday.
Rory Kleinveldt the all-rounder also showed his mettle. He took two for 16 in four overs in the first practice match to propel Cobras 1 to a 27-run victory. SA Engelbrecht (also two for sixteen) and Kleinveldt were the destroyers-in-chief.
Kleinveldt ignited the second match with his 36 off 17 balls with four sixes for the Cobras 2-side.
Malan also featured in that match with a composed 60 off 55 balls, including eight fours to power Cobras 2 to 139 for five.
Malan, 25-year old former batsman of the South African u.19-team, recently scored an unbeaten 120 in a first-class game for Western Province against South Western Districts.
He added an undefeated 148 in a List A-match, also for Province against the Southern Cape-based team.
For the record: Cobras 1 chased down that target of 139 for five by reaching 141 for four in 18.5 overs. It was thanks to Vallie’s 49 (35 balls, 3x4, 1x6) and Ontong’s measured 26 off 19 balls.
Fortuin, 19-year old former SA u.19-player, contributed 38 off 36 balls with four boundaries.
Ontong said although the wicket favoured the bowlers, he would have been happier with scores of 165 to 170, instead of 146 and 139.
“Some players got in and managed 30’s, but failed to convert those scores into 70’s and 80’s,” said the Nashua Cape Cobras skipper.
“We also missed our lengths a bit and still need to improve the Yorkers,” he added.
If he was asked to assess the T20-skills, he might give it seven out of ten.
Some hard work needs to be done before the opening match on Sunday, added Ontong.
Three young players, Pieter Malan, Clyde Fortuin and Yaseen Vallie, underlined their undoubted talent during the T20-practice games on Tuesday.
Rory Kleinveldt the all-rounder also showed his mettle. He took two for 16 in four overs in the first practice match to propel Cobras 1 to a 27-run victory. SA Engelbrecht (also two for sixteen) and Kleinveldt were the destroyers-in-chief.
Kleinveldt ignited the second match with his 36 off 17 balls with four sixes for the Cobras 2-side.
Malan also featured in that match with a composed 60 off 55 balls, including eight fours to power Cobras 2 to 139 for five.
Malan, 25-year old former batsman of the South African u.19-team, recently scored an unbeaten 120 in a first-class game for Western Province against South Western Districts.
He added an undefeated 148 in a List A-match, also for Province against the Southern Cape-based team.
For the record: Cobras 1 chased down that target of 139 for five by reaching 141 for four in 18.5 overs. It was thanks to Vallie’s 49 (35 balls, 3x4, 1x6) and Ontong’s measured 26 off 19 balls.
Fortuin, 19-year old former SA u.19-player, contributed 38 off 36 balls with four boundaries.
Ontong said although the wicket favoured the bowlers, he would have been happier with scores of 165 to 170, instead of 146 and 139.
“Some players got in and managed 30’s, but failed to convert those scores into 70’s and 80’s,” said the Nashua Cape Cobras skipper.
“We also missed our lengths a bit and still need to improve the Yorkers,” he added.
If he was asked to assess the T20-skills, he might give it seven out of ten.
Some hard work needs to be done before the opening match on Sunday, added Ontong.
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