Johannesburg – The Highveld Lions will be looking for nothing less than a win against the Knights in their Ram Slam T20 Challenge match in Kimberley.
The second-placed Lions need only avoid a bonus-point defeat to the third-placed Knights to win the right to host a home playoff at the Wanderers on Sunday.
“It will be quite important for us to get the win, it's not do or die yet,” said Lions coach Geoffrey Toyana.
“It's just about getting to Sunday having beaten these guys. They are a very dangerous side which fights together, so it's important for us to go to Kimberley and play some good cricket as we haven't done that in the last few weeks.”
The Lions won their first five games in a row, but have since tasted defeat three times in their last four games.
“Our last four games have been very poor after starting the competition very well in our first five games,” Toyana said.
“We seemed to take the foot off the pedal and it's been disappointing.”
The batting unit will be without the injured West Indian Chris Gayle for the match, but Toyana hoped for an improved performance.
“In our last three games our batting has not been good enough. We've been two wickets down in the first six overs in the last few games, and that's not good enough,” he said.
In Gayle's absence, the Lions will open the batting with Proteas player Quinton de Kock and the in-form Rassie van der Dussen.
Regardless of the result, the match will be a dress-rehearsal for the playoff between the two sides.
In the other match on Wednesday, the Cobras that cannot be caught at the summit of the log, host the Warriors in Paarl.
The Cobras with their unassailable lead have already won their right to host a home-final in Cape Town next Friday. – Sapa