Aggression when spotting an opening has been a hallmark of Cobras’ domination, says Ontong “Seizing the moment,” has been a feature of the phenomenal barn-storming run by the Nashua Cape Cobras in the Momentum One Day Cup competition. They are at the summit of the table with 19 points after four matches, which give them a nine-point cushion. The Sunfoil Dolphins have ten points after four clashes. “We owe our position to good planning and good planning. But we make sure we identify crucial situations and then stay on the right side of it,” said Justin Ontong, skipper of the Cobras. He spoke before boarding the plane to leave for Centurion, where the Cobras will meet The Unlimited Titans at SuperSport Park in another Momentum One Day Cup clash on Friday. “We are in aggressive mould and we play positively,” added the captain. One example of this seize-the-moment approach was the dismissal of Gerhardt Abrahams while he was in full cry in the 50-over match at Newlands between the Cobras and the Chevrolet Knights. Abrahams slammed a four through mid-wicket off Robin Peterson, match-winning spinner of the Cobras. He hit a beautiful six over long-off in the same over. Peterson, noticing the eagerness of the right-hander to attack, delivered one a bit wider and shorter and held it back. Abrahams swallowed the bait, and was caught on the long-off boundary by Mthokzisi Shezi for 62. The Cobras pushed the door open aggressively, and then ran through the house to make amok. Differently stated, they never quite recovered from the Abrahams-exit, and the Cobras grabbed their third bonus-point win in four matches. Shezi was the pick of the attack with his four for 38, while Rory Kleinveldt finished with one for 28. In the match against the bizhub Highveld Lions, the Cobras also seized the moment aggressively when SA Engelbrecht removed Neil McKenzie and Jean Symes in quick succession to turn the match on its head at Paarl on Sunday. “Our batting has been led by Andrew Puttick, who is in good form,” said Ontong. Puttick has scored 339 runs at an average of 113 in the Momentum One Day Cup campaign, and is third on the list of domestic batting averages in the 50-over format. “There is always somebody who puts his hand up in the top-order, and who takes the responsibility,” added Ontong. “We cannot become complacent in Friday’s match against The Unlimited Titans. “They are at the bottom of the log and will come hard at us. We need the right mental approach.” Ontong praised Shezi for his effort. He said the opening bowler improved markedly the past few months. He was a personal spectator in witnessing that improvement while on duty for the South African A-team in Australia, where he and the coach, Paul Adams, worked with the fast bowler. “He is an important cog for us in the power plays and also at the death.” Talking about Kleinveldt, Ontong said the South African bowler has thrived under the additional pressure of leading the Cobras attack.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 10:46:34 +0000
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