A highly motivated SWD Cricket team that will be full of self-confidence will travel north towards Senwes Park in Potchefstroom where they will take on the highly respected North West Dragons in their own backyard as from Thursday.
After four consecutive victories in the Cricket South Africa Provincial Challenge (two in the Sunfoil Three Day Challenge and two in the Twenty 20 competition) the coach, Deon Smith, will be optimistic but cautious to record SWD’s first ever first class victory against the men from Potchefstroom who moved into the top position of the Pool A (101.08 points with four victories after 8 matches) – 24.16 ahead of SWD who is in the 2nd place after 7 matches (three victories). North West also recorded two impressive consecutive victories. In the limited over format SWD will be desperate to record their first victory after three defeats. North West won three out of five one-day matches.
Good news is that SWD’s leading batsman in the Sunfoil Three Day Cup, Waldo Lategan, who suffered from an ankle injury as well as pace-bowler Lonwabo Rodolo are both fit again. Lyndon Volkwyn is unfortunately unavailable but it will open the door for the promising Otneill Baartman who will make his first class debut after impressive performances as an emerging cricketer. Hanno Kotze, Erinn Ewerts and Neil Hornbucke will both get a run in the limited over match. The powerful big hitting Christiaan Jonker was again released by the Chevrolet Warriors and will boost the SWD team.
The team for the weekend is Ross McMillan, Waldo Latega, Luthando Mnyanda, Sammy-Joe Avontuur, Christiaan Jonker, Brendon Louw, Pieter Stuurman, Siyabonga Booi, Lonwabo Rodolo, Otneill Baartman and Gurshwin Rabie. Erinn Ewerts, Hanno Kotze and Neil Hornbuckle will be added for the limited over match.
