Perhaps it’s a reflection of the despondency surrounding the sport in general, maybe in these tough economic times getting to a middle of the month mid-week game is too much effort or maybe there’s just too much 20-over cricket, but the most disappointing part of watching the Highveld Lions this season has been the poor attendance at the “Bullring”.
Wednesday night’s thumping of a Warriors team containing seven internationals attracted just 1 170 people to the Wanderers.
Sunday against the Titans, who included Faf du Plessis and Albie Morkel, found 3 533 people at the ground. When Richard Levi had just stepped off the plane from New Zealand as the hottest property in South African sport – never mind just cricket – barely 7 000 pitched up to watch on a Friday night.
And this when the Lions are winning – seven out of 10 matches thus far in the MiWay T20 – and playing thrilling cricket with some of the most dynamic talent to emerge on the domestic scene in half a decade.
There’s certainly not one reason for the poor attendances, rather a mixture of motives.
However, for the likes of Chris Morris and Quinton de Kock who are just emerging on to the local scene it must be sad to play in front of such small crowds. The pair have been at the forefront of the Lions’ outstanding performances in the competition.
Morris – who has an appreciation of the history of playing at the Wanderers – has been outstanding with the ball. He is the competition’s leading wicket-taker and is a dangerous late innings finisher with the bat. The 19-year-old De Kock has made an extraordinary impression in his first go among senior professionals.
Besides two half-centuries and a couple of other 40s, it’s the impetus he provides at the top of the innings that has proved invaluable to the Lions. In his most impressive display of the season, he made Vernon Philander look ordinary when scoring a pulsating half-century three weeks ago.
The likes of Jonathan Vandiar, Gulam Bodi and Neil McKenzie have made important contributions. In fact, the only criticism of the Lions has been the inexplicable decision to put Dwaine Pretorius up the order ahead of McKenzie on so many occasions.
The bowling has been built on all-out attack. The Lions bowled the opposition out within the mandatory 20 overs twice this season and on three other occasions knocked over nine wickets.
Morris described it as being a deliberately aggressive approach. As a result they are on the cusp of securing that play-off spot – only three sides qualify, the log-leaders getting the benefit of hosting the final – which would occur with victory tonight over the unfortunate Dolphins.
The KwaZulu Natalians have had four matches cut short by rain while their big overseas signing, Chris Gayle, didn’t play a game due to an injury picked up before he even arrived.
Mathematically, only the Impi are out of play-off contention while the Warriors need to win their remaining three matches and throw in a couple of bonus points to get in the mix.
The match of the weekend will be at Centurion on Sunday when the third-placed Titans play the defending champions, the Cape Cobras. The final round of league matches will be played next Wednesday. The second v third place knockout match takes place next Sunday.
P W L T NR B Pts RR
Highveld Lions 10 7 2 0 1 3 33 1.43
Knights 10 5 3 1 1 1 26 0.43
Titans 10 5 3 0 2 2 26 0.21
Cape Cobras 9 5 3 1 0 1 24 0.45
Dolphins 10 3 3 0 4 0 20 -0.34
Warriors 9 3 5 0 1 2 16 -0.33
Impi 10 0 9 0 1 0 2 -1.85
FIXTURES
Friday (start 6pm): Cape Cobras v Chevrolet Warriors, Newlands; bizhub Highveld Lions v Sunfoil Dolphins, Wanderers; Chevrolet Knights v Impi, Kimberley.
Sunday (start 2.30pm): Chevrolet Knights v Chevrolet Warriors, Kimberley; Nashua Titans v Cape Cobras, Centurion. – The Star