The Buildnat Cape Cobras have the potential to beat every team in the country, but ultimately, names on paper won’t cut it. The mental attitude on the field, the appetite for a fight to rally when one is with their back against the wall, is the trait necessary for the Cape Town-based team to move up the log in the Sunfoil Series, said the newly appointed coach, Ashwell Prince.
The Cobras will host the bizhub Highveld Lions at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn starting on Thursday 5th January.
“The keys for us are simply improved performances. We have been sub-standard so far this season.
“What we need, is for players to perform up to the class they have displayed throughout their careers,” he added.
“Having the inner drive and the hunger to do well will be important for each player,” he added.
Prince said a lack of centuries was not the only weak spot in the Cobras’ armour during the first half of the competition. “We also did not bowl that well and have only taken one or two five-wicket hauls,” he added.
Prince said he only met with the team on Monday, but plans to have a sit-down session with each individual player in the squad over the course of the next two weeks about their own plans, dreams and potential.
The new coach underlines the importance of seeing the new picture. “If we win against the Lions this weekend, we are just a victory away from the team that is at the top of the log,” he said. “And if we can win another one, we are back in the competition,” he added.
The Cobras will be bolstered by the return of Wayne Parnell and Dane Piedt, two test players with the ability to win matches almost single handedly for them.
Parnell was part of the thirteen-man Standard Bank Proteas’ squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Piedt captured 39 wickets last season at an average of 22.33.
Parnell nipped out 7-51 in a match at PPC Newlands against the Hollywoodbets Dolphins.
Watch out for the left-arm swing bowler to repeat these performances and to challenge the Lions’ top-order during the weekend.
Prince, though, warned against the Cobras relying too much on the names on the paper. “It is about more. It is about our appetite for wins. It is about the mood, the hunger and the mental approach on the field,” he added.