GET ready for Herschelle Gibbs to rock Newlands tonight! Yes, Gibbs can still set the pulse racing when he walks out to bat, like he has for over 20 years now. Gibbs will stride on to his beloved Newlands once more in tonight’s must-win T20 Challenge showdown against the table-topping Lions.
The original rock star of South African cricket hasn’t spent much time in Cape Town recently as he played in Australia and Bangladesh’s T20 tournaments. That saw him look out of touch in his return to Cobras colours last Sunday against the Titans, when he scored just two runs.
But the 37-year-old says he is feeling in a much better mood, and with so much at stake for the Cobras, expect some fireworks from that flashing blade.
“When the weather is like this and we are at practice again, it feels nice to be at home,” Gibbs told the Cape Times this week. “I’ve been on the road for three months, so it’s been nice to get home, even if it’s just for a couple of weeks before I’m off again. First, it’s the IPL, and then England for their T20 tournament.
“I just felt a little flat against the Titans. It does take a couple of days or a week, with the time difference and stuff, to get into it again. But I will be ready for this week. I’ve had a few good nets. Just to get the feel of the wickets again, even if you’ve played one or 20 years at Newlands.”
And what about the young man who looks like he can dazzle the Newlands crowd like Gibbs has? Richard Levi’s record-breaking 117 against New Zealand in a T20 international has catapulted him to stardom, and Gibbs feels that the Cobras opener should also do his thing in the ODI arena.
“Richie should be in the ODI side. If he’s ready, he’s ready. His confidence is high at the moment, and limited-overs cricket is very much a confidence game. We know what a clean striker of the ball he is, and he is just a strong boy. Everybody in international cricket have guys who fire upfront, and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be that guy for South Africa,” he said.
“He is a match-winner, and has proven that already. You need players like that in your ODI side, like AB, especially if you are building up for the next World Cup. It’s no better time to blood him.
“Richie can play for the next 10 to 15 years in ODIs and T20s, and be one of the best in the business.”
Cobras coach Richard Pybus will hope that Levi can smash the ball to all corners of Newlands on Friday night, as he had to make the tough call to drop the in-form opener Andrew Puttick from the squad.
Puttick captained the side in Justin Kemp’s injury-enforced absence, and made valuable contributions with the bat in partnership with Stiaan van Zyl.
But Kemp’s foot is feeling better, and he will lead the Cobras into battle against Neil McKenzie’s Lions outfit. Proteas all-rounder Justin Ontong has not recovered from his ankle injury, though.
The 13-man squad includes four spinners in Aussie import Brad Hogg, Dane Piedt, Alistair Gray and Yaseen Vallie, which indicates that Pybus’s main selection conundrum will be to balance his bowling attack.
This will be a key component as the Lions have one of the best batting line-ups in the competition, which they reinforced in Wednesday night’s seven-wicket victory over the Knights when they smashed 91 off just 11.2 overs in what was a rain-reduced match.
The Cobras have to win both their games this weekend – they also face the Knights in Paarl on Sunday – to stay in the race for a playoff spot. They are in fourth place on 16 points, eight behind the Lions.
“There’s enough experience here, and we know Richie can win a game on his own. In T20 cricket, you need a couple of match-winners in your team, and then anything’s possible,” Gibbs said.
“The Lions have always done well as a unit, and they have played consistent cricket. But we need to pick up momentum, and then you never know. In these tournaments, you tend to have a bit of a wobble in the middle and come back strongly towards the end. And this is an extended tournament this year.”
CAPE COBRAS SQUAD
Alistair Gray, Beuran Hendricks, Brad Hogg, Charl Langeveldt, Dane Piedt, Dane Vilas, Herschelle Gibbs, Justin Kemp (capt), Yaseen Vallie, Owais Shah, Richard Levi, Rory Kleinveldt, Stiaan van Zyl.
Start: 6pm. TV: Not televised.
WEEKEND’S T20 fixtures
Friday: Titans v Dolphins (6pm), Warriors v Knights (6pm).
Sunday: Cobras v Knights (2.30pm), Warriors v Dolphins (2.30pm), Lions v Titans (2.30pm). – Cape Times