Muthusamy urges Warriors to stay grounded ahead of Lions clash

Dafabat Warriors all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy is pleased with their start to the Cricket SA One-Day Cup, but knows nothing can be taken for granted when they square up to the Lions in Johannesburg on Friday (1pm).

The Warriors’ last visit to the Wanderers saw their batting dismantled in the second innings of the four-day final as they failed to reach three figures, and while this is a different competition, there will be an urge to set things right.

Muthusamy was the man of the match in their second win in a row against Western Province in Cape Town on Tuesday as they chased down a total of 244/7 with time to spare.

The result followed their impressive opening six-wicket win over the Dolphins last Friday, giving the Gqeberha outfit an encouraging start to the tournament.

“We’ve gone back-to-back wins, so we’ve started the competition really well, and we’re playing good, consistent cricket,” Muthusamy said.

Despite the victory, the senior player emphasised there were areas for improvement, particularly with the ball and in the field.

“There are a few areas we need to touch on with the ball, and we need to be a bit more clinical with the bat, but the nice thing is there’s room for improvement.

“We bowled quite a few extras, so that’s something we’ll need to look at as a group.”

Looking ahead to the rest of the campaign, Muthusamy stressed the importance of maintaining their current standards.

“We mustn’t take anything for granted. We need to focus on the next match and try to keep playing the good, consistent cricket we’ve been producing. Hopefully we can keep growing and getting better as the tournament goes on.”

Muthusamy will continue to play a key role in the batting and bowling departments.

Against WP he conceded only 26 runs in 10 overs and then top-scored with 61 to restore stability to the Warriors’ reply, while also adding considerable momentum to the chase.

It was a pivotal role for the Warriors after the home side had threatened to gain the upper hand.

The left-arm spinner said his initial focus when coming on to bowl was to slow the scoring rate and apply pressure.

“I think initially with the ball I came on a bit later and it was about trying to build pressure and give some control back to our innings,” he said.

His disciplined spell helped the Warriors regain control during a key phase of the contest before he later contributed with the bat in a crucial partnership.

Chasing victory, the home side had made a positive start but found themselves under pressure after losing a few wickets. Muthusamy responded by combining effectively with Jean du Plessis to stabilise the innings and rebuild momentum.

“With the bat we had lost a few wickets after a good start, so it was about building a partnership with Jean and creating some momentum to set up the back phase of the game,” he explained.

Once the platform had been established, Patrick Kruger and Du Plessis ensured the Warriors crossed the line, completing the job in the closing stages.