Cobras fight back after another tough day
The Cape Cobras still have a long way to go of achieving the first objective, which must be to avoid the follow-on.
|||Warriors: 525/7 (Ackerman 146, Price 99, Seyibokwe 69, Van Zyl 2/33)
Cape Cobras: 94/0 (Ramela 55*, Puttick 35*)
Cape Town - The Cape Cobras still have a long way to go of achieving the first objective, which must be to avoid the follow-on, but they have at least shown there is still some pride left in their performance.
After conceding a record 525/7 - the Warriors’ highest total in first-class cricket against the Cobras - the home side could easily have capitulated under the scoreboard pressure. Considering the lack of form the Cobras’ batmen headed into the match with too, the total would have seemed as large as Table Mountain.
But credit must go to the Cobras opening pair Omphile Ramela and Andrew Puttick for the way they stuck to their task in the final session. Having learnt from the Warriors batsmen that application at the crease was the necessary requirement to score heavily on a friendly Newlands surface, the duo played with good discipline.
It may have seemed laborious at times, with Puttick’s strike-rate only touching 23.48, but it was a necessary evil. Subdue and penetrate was the way to go with only Ramela providing the odd moment of excitement.
The innings is particularly important for the Cobras skipper. With all the court room drama relating to the seniors players and coach Paul Adams off the field, the former Sunfoil Series champions needed its leader to show the way on the field. It was imperative that one of the senior players took on the mantle, and Ramela’s unbeaten half-century will go a long way in easing the increasing burden.
He will know, though, that the task is not even half done yet. Ramela will have to match or better the Warriors’ in-form No 3 Colin Ackerman’s career-best 146 scored earlier in the day.
Although the former South Africa U/19 batsman only added 30 further runs to his overnight 116, it was sufficient to set the platform for Somila Seyibokwe and later Clyde Fortuin (43 off 53 balls), Simon Harmer (21 not out off 31 balls) and Andrew Birch (21 off 21 balls) to really drive home the visitors’ advantage.
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