Robin Peterson will captain the Cape Cobras this weekend while young wicketkeeper-batsman Clyde Fortuin is set to make his debut as one-day cricket makes its return after a two-month break.
After six matches the Cobras top the log with 21 points and they will be looking to extend their lead when they take on the Lions at the Wanderers on Saturday.
Following South Africa A call-ups for skipper Justin Ontong and vice-captain Dane Vilas, Cobras coach Paul Adams will hand the captaincy to Peterson, while Fortuin will fill Vilas’s spot behind the stumps.
As the captain of the A side, Ontong will surely feature in the five-match series of one-dayers against the England Lions, starting on Sunday in Bloemfontein.
Vilas will also be expected to play given that he is the only specialist wicketkeeper in the side.
Other Cobras players in the A squad include Stiaan van Zyl, Beuran Hendricks and Mthokozisi Shezi, but some or all of this trio do still stand a chance of turning out in the Cobras’ blue kit come Saturday.
“We are in discussion with Vinny Barnes (SA A coach) to see if the players that will not play on Sunday are released just for the weekend so that they can play in the cup,” explained Adams.
“The other franchises are also asking but all we can do is wait until Friday to see who will be available,” said Adams.
It seems likely that should the Cobras get a player from the A side it will be a left-arm fast bowler in the shape of either Hendricks or Shezi, as Barnes has Kagiso Rabada, Ryan McLaren, Chris Morris and Marchant de Lange in the SA A squad.
One fast bowler who will definitely be returning to the Cobras will be Rory Kleinveldt, who is not in the SA A one-day group.
Off-spinner Dane Piedt also returns, but will be rested.
“Dane is not feeling 100 percent with his bowling so he will sit out against the Lions, but Rory is back in the side so he and Dane (Paterson) could be our strike bowlers,” said Adams
Andrew Puttick is also expected to return for the Cobras against the Lions, while Aviwe Mgijima should retain his place in the side after making his first appearance of the season in the Cobras’ last four-day match.
The change of format to one-dayers could rejuvenate the Cobras, who, after four matches in the four-day series, sit bottom of the log without a win.
“Coming back into the one-day competition, we do not need too much motivation because we know we are top of the log. But we will also be looking to get back to winning ways after the four-day matches.”
As defending champions, the Cobras’ poor form in the four-day series has come as a surprise to many, including Adams.
“We lost a lot of guys to the Proteas and theA side, and that can cripple any side. However, if you have a strong side then there will be call-ups, so we still needed to play our game. I felt in the last match we showed more character, so I think things are improving. On the plus side, with so many senior guys gone we have had the chance to expose some of the younger guys to more game time and that helps us take a look into the future.”
Despite the Cobras being without some senior players ahead of the Lions match, there is still keen competition in the ranks as all-rounder Shaheen Khan and left-arm spinner GF Linde have been in good form of late, giving Adams solid options.
Linde finished the T20 competition as the Cobras’ top wicket-taker and since then the 23-year-old has been a regular performer for the Cape side.
Khan has not had much playing time for the Cobras, but for Western Province he has scored 142 runs and taken eight wickets in two games.
Meanwhile Dean Elgar, Theunis de Bruyn, David Wiese and De Lange have been released from the A side to play for the Titans on Friday. Their opponents, the Knights, also welcome back Reeza Hendricks
Possible Cobras team: Robin Peterson (captain), Andrew Puttick, Richard Levi, Omphile Ramela, Yaseen Vallie, Clyde Fortuin, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Justin Kemp, Aviwe Mgijima, Rory Kleinveldt, Dane Paterson
One-Day Cup log
1 Cape Cobras 21 pts, 2 Dolphins 16 pts, 3 Lions 15 pts, 4 Titans 9 pts, 5 Knights 8 pts, 6 Warriors 6 pts - Cape Argus