Cape Cobras in fight for survival

Friday, September 26, 2014
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)

Having lost two games out of two, both by big margins, Cape Cobras find themselves on the brink of exiting the tournament. To have any chance of progressing, they will have to win their remaining two games emphatically, and then hope other results go their way. Perhaps this fact will free up Cobra's minds, allowing them to play with a measure of freedom, since the mandate - win, and win big - is clear and they have but little to lose. Maybe this will help their batsmen to kick on from the starts they have made and thrown away so far in the tournament. And maybe this will help their bowlers put the scars of two big totals conceded out of their minds - so far, only seamer Charl Langeveldt, who came out of retirement for this tournament, and part-time offspinner Sybrand Engelbrecht have managed to bowl spells at under seven to the over. They will be hoping offspinner Dane Piedt, who had hurt his bowling arm while trying to field off his own bowing in their previous game, is good to go.

Conditions-wise, Cobras will have to start from scratch once more. After games in Raipur and Hyderabad, they move northwards, to Mohali, to take on Barbados Tridents. Tridents have already played at the venue, in their only game of the tournament so far, which they lost to Kings XI Punjab. In that game, Tridents' death bowling failed them after their top order had fired them to 174. Cobras' line-up might not seem as threatening all the way through, as Kings XI's, to the international new-ball pairing of Ravi Rampaul and Jason Holder, but they would know they both cannot afford to go at over 10 to the over once more. If they do, and Tridents subsequently lose, they will find themselves in the same place as Cobras: having lost two from two and in a dicey position in the semi-finals race.

Cape Cobras LLLWW (most recent first, completed matches only)
Barbados Tridents LWWWL

Watch out for

Vernon Philander might not be quite the same bowler in T20 cricket as he is in Tests, but he still is much better than his tournament stats of 2 wickets at 40.50, with an economy rate of 11.57. Even if he is coming off an injury break. The conditions in Mohali - arguably the most seamer-friendly international venue in India - might be more conducive to his style of bowling, and with the team already missing the services of two frontline quicks in Dale Steyn and Beuran Hendricks, Philander will be eager to deliver.

Elton Chigumbura is the only Zimbabwe player on show in this tournament. He did not have a memorable start to it, holing out for 3 off 5 against Kings XI and then not being called upon to bowl. Having recently been named Zimbabwe's limited-overs captain, the allrounder will be keen to show off his explosive batting skills, especially since his team is already quite weakened in the department, having lost Dwayne Smith, Kieron Pollard and Shoaib Malik to other sides in the tournament.

Quotes

"We have a lot of experienced players, guys that have played international cricket, except one or two. Experience is our strength, and we have got a lot of allrounders, which helps as well."
Cape Cobras opener Hashim Amla, on the advantages his team enjoys