Johannesburg – Titans coach Matthew Maynard admits it will be a tough assignment for the Pretoria side to beat the rampant Highveld Lions in Tuesday's Ram Slam T20 Challenge clash in Centurion.
“They've been the form side all season, and it will be a big challenge,” Maynard said on Monday.
“What we need are good starts with both bat and ball to put them under some early pressure.
While the Lions were sitting pretty at the top of the standings, a tight scrap was developing below them, as the hunt for second and third continued.
“It's a great competition this year, really tight,” Maynard said.
“The Dolphins have also dragged themselves back into the reckoning, so this is a really big week. We have a game against the Knights to finish the round-robin, and we will have a much clearer picture of where we stand after this week.”
Maynard added that in the heat of the battle, his senior players had shown good control, and he would count on them in the frantic, final stages of the competition.
“We have a good balance between youth and experience, but the thing about experienced players is that they know how to stay calm under pressure.”
While the Titans and others sweated it out, the Lions were looking to build momentum as the T20 Challenge reached the latter stages.
“We had a chat as a team ahead of this final phase, and we have basically said we start again from here,” said Lions coach Geoff Toyana.
“Last season we also topped the table, and we knew that we were already in the Champions League, so our motivation in the final wasn't quite there, and we have to change that mind frame.” – Sapa