Buoyant Warriors head to Cape Town wanting sharper execution with new ball

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The Dafabet Warriors will look to build on the momentum created by Matthew Breetzke’s masterclass when they take on Western Province in their next Cricket SA One-Day Cup clash in Cape Town on Tuesday (1pm).

Fresh from a commanding victory under lights at St George’s Park, the Gqeberha outfit will draw confidence from Breetzke’s unbeaten 121, an innings that underlined both his maturity and ability to control a chase.

The stylish right-hander admitted afterwards that the task was far from straightforward.

“To be honest, I thought they had got 20 runs or so too many,” Breetzke said.

“I didn’t think we bowled particularly well in the first 20 overs, but I knew that under lights here the wicket gets a lot better for batting, and you just have to give yourself a chance.

“Those first 15 overs are not easy, but if you can give yourself a chance, you can score at the back end.

“I feel I know my game pretty well now, and my plan is just to play the conditions and what is in front of me, and I aim to be the guy that’s there at the end, and hopefully that can continue.”

That clarity of approach proved decisive as he, together with Patrick Kruger, produced one of the standout partnerships in franchise one-day cricket to haul the Warriors past a competitive Dolphins total of 279/7.

They added a Warriors franchise record of 174 for the fifth wicket, with Kruger finishing on a powerful knock of 88 not out.

Captain Senuran Muthusamy felt the bowling unit showed resilience after a difficult start.

“It was a pretty good cricket wicket,” he said. “I thought they were on for a score of 310 or 320 at one stage, but our bowlers did really well through the middle and at the back end.

“To restrict them to a target of 280 was real smart bowling, and the guys pulled together nicely. I think we bowled well in patches and didn’t put it all together, but having said that, it was still a good cricket wicket.

“Huge accolades to Patrick and Matt – a huge partnership, one of the best in franchise cricket.

“They were in full control and pulled the trigger at the right time, allowing us to win with quite a few balls to spare. Huge credit to them and to the guys at the top for setting the foundation.”

As they prepare to face Western Province, the Warriors will be eager to tighten up their new-ball execution while maintaining the composure that defined their chase.

If Breetzke continues in the same vein and the bowling attack finds greater consistency up front, the home side will back themselves to secure another important result in what is shaping up to be a tightly contested campaign.