Cape Cobras coach Paul Adams paid tribute to the consistency of performance throughout his side after a 33-run victory over the Chevrolet Knights saw the Cobras crowned RAM SLAM T20 champions.
Having added that trophy to the Newlands cabinet, Adams has now won titles in all three formats since taking the reins at the start of the 2012/13 season.
Every Cobras player could point to some contribution to Friday night’s victory in front of a crowd of 13,559, whether it was a handy knock, a cheap spell with the ball or a string of good catches in the field.
“That’s the thing with finals - I think sometimes it takes a team collective, where you need to fall back on your team structure in pressure moments,” Adams said.
“But I thought there were also some brilliant individual performances that created the spark - Omphile Ramela came in and played a superb knock that just sparked our innings and got it going, and then Kieron (Pollard)’s experience towards the back end was also crucial.”
Pollard scored an unbeaten 43 from 23 balls and then took 3 for 21 in his four overs to cap a brilliant stint with the Cobras, during which he has been one of the standout performers in the competition.
He finished with 243 runs from his 11 matches at an average of 81, and 14 wickets at an average of 15 and an economy rate of just 6.8.
“The pro’s contribution was massive for us,” said Adams. “We always look at good Twenty20 players as impact players, and I think Richard Levi and Kieron Pollard’s impact has been huge.
“Kieron wins games from anywhere, and he’ll contribute with the bat, the ball and in the field. Hopefully he can keep making Cape Town his second home. Or perhaps his third or fourth.”
While the final scoreline in the final suggested a straightforward victory for the Cobras, in truth the Knights were right in the match going into the final five overs, when they needed 60 runs with seven wickets in hand.
However, Dane Paterson struck twice in two balls before Pollard picked up three wickets in the next over to put the game to bed.
“I thought the game was a lot closer than it actually looked in the end,” Cobras captain Justin Ontong said.
“We needed to take crucial wickets and hang on to crucial catches at the right times, and fortunately we managed to do that.”
James Buttler
As the editor of World Cricket Badger he is intent on building the website to give quality coverage of the domestic game around the world.
He is also the presenter of the Cricket Badger Radio Show on Radio Yorkshire every Tuesday evening between 7-9pm UK time.
James was the full-time Media Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2010.
James is a published author, a writer/video contributor to many cricket publications and a complete cricket badger!
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