As a former spinner, Cape Cobras coach Paul Adams has been encouraged by the pitches used in the Sunfoil Series so far this season. With some high scores around the country last weekend it would appear that the seamers will have less of a say this season than they did last term, and Adams can see some of the potential benefits.
Robin Petersen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“I think it will bring spin bowlers into the game,” he said. “Hopefully the wickets will deteriorate as well.”
Although Imran Tahir has recently consolidated his Proteas place, two of the spinners challenging him for that position will be in action when the Cobras travel to Axxess St George’s to take on the Chevrolet Warriors on Thursday.
While Warriors off-spinner Simon Harmer is the third highest wicket-taker so far this season with nine scalps, Robin Peterson has returned to the Cobras set-up after falling out of the Proteas squads recently.
“He’s very hungry,” Adams said of Peterson. “He brings a lot to the team in terms of experience and his all-round capabilities. Just having him around in the squad is a big boost for a lot of players, and for him personally it’s a challenge to really step up and look to produce some match-winning performances.”
For all the talk of spinners, however, it is 24-year-old paceman Dane Paterson who has been drafted into the Cobras squad after making himself impossible to ignore - a match haul of 9 for 96 for Western Province against Northerns last week took his season tally to 29 in five CSA Provincial Three-Day matches.
The Warriors will welcome back Ashwell Prince from compassionate leave, but are monitoring the fitness of Rusty Theron after he came away from a batsman-friendly wicket at Senwes Park a little worse for wear.
“He’s struggling with a side strain so we’ll follow up on that,” said coach Piet Botha. “He bowled quite a lot because we lost Andrew Birch after just two overs - Birchy had a foot injury which seems to be recovering quite nicely - so Rusty has had to do a bit more work.”
HEAD TO HEAD – Warriors v Cape Cobras
Matches Played 18
Warriors Win 04
Cobras Win 10
Draw 04
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.
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James was the full-time Media Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2010.
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