Potchefstroom, Feb 3 : Hollywoodbets Dolphins captain Prenelan Subrayen is hoping to uphold their “winning game motto” when they take on the Imperial Lions in the 2020-21 Momentum One-Day Cup final at Senwes Park here on Thursday.
The competition, the first ever domestic cricket event to be played in a bio-secure environment (BSE), draws to a conclusion after nearly four weeks as the two best teams slog it out for 50-over title.
Both teams won their respective groups when they were played earlier — the KwaZulu-Natal outfit topping Pool A and their Johannesburg-based counterparts ending as Pool B winners.
The Dolphins are also the defending champions and have proved impossible to beat thus far, with skipper Subrayen now aiming for one more big outing in the decider. “Our motto has been to win cricket games and this is what we’ll be aiming for again in the final,” he said.
“Coming up against the Lions is always a good challenge and also a good test of your skill and character, so it should be a good game. It’s been quite eventful and disruptive as well with the way the weather has been here in Potch. I think the good thing was that we got most of our preparation done in Durban.”
Imraan Khan’s side overcame the Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras in their semi-final and Subrayen believes they will take plenty of confidence from that result, especially after looking beaten three-quarter of the way through the game.
“We gained a lot of momentum from that semi-final win,” he stated. “It gave us a lot of learnings as well. It was great that we came out on the better side of the stick. It showed we have a lot of character and depth in the team and those are good things to take into the final.”
The captain also feels the two best teams have reached the final. “The two teams that have reached the final are probably the two that have adapted best to the conditions and taken advantage of the conditions. With the weather being around and the way the conditions played has probably suited us and we look forward to that helping us again.”
Meanwhile, opposite number Dominic Hendricks has warned that the Dolphins will not be easy to beat, although he was quietly optimistic that Wandile Gwavu’s men could prevail. “They’re a very well-balanced side, they’ve got some good players in almost every position so I’m expecting a very good game. We had a good match here last year just before the lockdown, so I’m expecting a very good game. They’re a really good team, especially in this format where they’ve impressed in the past couple of years,” he said.
With many of their players away on national duty, the Lions’ depth has been tested and Hendricks praised those that have stepped in for doing the business.
“It’s been quite an interesting journey, different guys have put their hands up at different stages of the competition, which we’re really happy about. Most guys have contributed at some stage, so we’re looking forward to the final. It’s going to be a very hotly-contested affair,” he concluded.
The tournament was initially scheduled to be played as a regular countrywide event, but due to the Covid-19 second wave, it was instead successfully played out behind closed doors in the North West town to minimize the risk of transmission of the virus.
The first ball will be bowled at 10h00 with coverage live on SuperSport as well as Cricket South Africa’s digital platforms.
The Hollywoodbets Dolphins squad is: Michael Erlank, Mangaliso Mosehle, Eathan Bosch, Keith Dudgeon, Andile Simelane, Prenelan Subrayen (capt), Marques Ackerman, Grant Roelofsen, Ruan de Swardt, Khaya Zondo, Robbie Frylinck, Kerwin Mungroo, Senuran Muthusamy, Ottneil Baartman
The Imperial Lions squad is: Delano Potgieter, Dominic Hendricks (capt), Eldred Hawken, Bryce Parsons, Johannes Diseko, Kagiso Rapulana, Malusi Siboto, Mitchell van Buuren, Nicholas van den Bergh, Sisanda Magala, Tladi Bokako, Wesley Marshall, Nono Pongolo
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from IANS service.