Eastern Cape Iinyathi fast bowler Nico van Zyl is thrilled with being the CSA Division 2 One Day Cup leading wicket-taker but is aware that the job is not done.
He wants to pull off two more outstanding performances with the ball in the qualifier on Wednesday (10am) against the Mpumalanga Rhinos at Buffalo Park and, if successful in that game, in the final against the Knights in Bloemfontein at the weekend.
Van Zyl has 17 wickets in seven matches in the tournament.
He has been instrumental up front in the powerplay and in the middle overs, taking the big wickets at the top of the order.
“I want to continue with the form in the qualifier because we are the defending champions. We want to be there in Bloem.
“But it will take an overall performance by the bowling unit, obviously, like we have been doing,” Van Zyl said.
“Chad Classen and Thando Ntini have been containing the batters well in the powerplay to allow the other bowlers to extend the pressure.
“The Rhinos are a changed side from the one that we met earlier in the campaign. The bowling has to be spot on, and so too do the batters.”
At the start of March, Iinyathi reigned supreme, beating the Rhinos in Mpumalanga by 98 runs via the DLS method.
The bowling was superb, rolling the Rhinos for 145 in their chase of 273.
In that game they had their backs against the wall, as they had lost their opening two games against the Knights and the CSA Emerging team.
Since then, Iinyathi have managed to get five wins on the trot.
But the Rhinos have picked up the pace since and are in an impressive spell.
They have won their past three matches by 100-plus margins.
In their last game, they showed they are no slouches, dismantling the table-topping Knights by 176 runs in Bloemfontein.
“They are a dangerous outfit,” Van Zyl acknowledged on Tuesday before the game.
Iinyathi head coach Tumelo Bodibe gave his bowling attack a rest on Tuesday after the long travel home by bus from Kimberley on Monday after their last group game against the Northern Cape Heat the day before.
Only the batters had optional training in the morning.
Van Zyl said the reason for him and his bowling companions not taking the nets on Tuesday was to get them fresh.
The Rhinos have Yassar Cook, who is the second leading run scorer of the campaign, and the experienced Zakir Kathrada, Gareth Dukes and Jon Hinrichsen, who leads the charts of the best batting strike rates.
“Their batting lineup is very good,” Van Zyl said. “We will have to restrict their top order as much as we can.”
Daily Dispatch
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