Rory Kleinveldt and Beuran Hendricks will be limbering up at Benoni’s Willowmoore Park this week, sending down deliveries to the West Indies batsmen in a tour game instead of preparing with their Cape Cobras teammates for Friday’s RamSlam T20 Challenge final at Newlands.
Any other franchise coach would never allow such a drain on his seam bowling resources, especially when they are as talented and skilful like this duo. Considering Kleinveldt was still a member of the Proteas’ Test squad, and Hendricks was tearing up batting line-ups on his way to a new national T20 record less than 12 months ago, makes it even for more astonishing.
However, due to their respective long-term injuries, the Cobras have moved on and developed some fresh bowling talent in the form of Dane Paterson, Mthokozisi Shezi, Ferisco Adams and left-arm spinner GF Linde in this season’s RamSlam competition.
Cobras coach Paul Adams is set to keep faith with this emerging group, with only Adams not likely to feature against the Knights.
“We are not looking to making any major changes to our squad this week. Last year we had to change almost our entire team for the final when the national players were called up, so we’re looking to keep things as settled as possible. We don’t also see any reason to change things up when the young bowlers have done so well throughout the campaign. Each one has really taken to his respective role and performed it admirably,” Adams said.
Adams’ attitude in trying to groom and nurture young talent is certainly refreshing, but that does not mean he is going into the domestic showpiece without a “banker”. He will be able to call on the World’s No1 fast bowler, Dale Steyn, to not only guide his youthful troops through the pressures of a final, but also be there to strike those killer blows that are often needed in big matches.
“Having Dale around is fantastic, great for the group, especially the young guys. He makes massive impact in our dressingroom, as all the bowlers really look up to him, and want to follow their ‘hero’. Also the impact he has on the opposition changeroom, just knowing that he is playing, buys us a couple of wickets at the other end as they believe they need to score more off the other bowlers.
“Dale enjoys playing in finals, it’s a big deal for him, and he showed in the last one he played for us, when he took five wickets, that there’s no chance he is going to leave anything in the tank.”
The Cobras are certainly the envy of other franchises around the country with the depth of talent they have available, and the riches lay not only among the bowlers. In both the Boland and Western Province Amateur teams there are batsmen putting up their hands every week to be considered for a big break higher up, with WP’s Pieter Malan certainly putting his name in the shop window.
The former SA Under-19 prodigy lit up proceedings this past weekend, striking 182 against Easterns at Newlands in three-day fixture, before a scorching unbeaten 140 off just 69 balls (16x4, 7x6) in the follow-up T20 match on Sunday.
“We are definitely fortunate to have talent like this available to us in the Western Cape. Pieter made the move down from Pretoria, and really worked hard at establishing himself here.
“He is certainly knocking hard on the door. I don’t think we would blood him in final, that would not be fair, but he will certainly come into the reckoning when the One-Day Cup and Sunfoil Series gets underway in the New Year,” Adams explained. - The Star