Cape Cobras vs Knights, Momentum One Day Cup 2020, Today Match Prediction 07 Mar 2020

cobras vs kng Match Prediction & Analysis

The 23rd Match of the Momentum One-Day Cup will see Cape Cobras taking on Knights in Oudtshoorn on Saturday. Although the two teams hold the last two spots in the points table, they are still not out of contention for a semi-final spot due to the inconsistency of the other sides. The match will be all the more important for Cape Cobras given that they hold the wooden-spoon at this moment.

Two points adrift of Knights who are just above them at 5th spot, Cape Cobras come into this encounter in a must-win scenario. The fact that they will be playing after nearly two weeks could help them as their last match was against Knights on 22nd February. In a rain-affected match, Cobras put themselves on the back-foot by only posting 226-5 after the end of 42 overs. In return, an unbelievable 71-ball 124 from Jacques Snyman helped Knights round off a three-wicket win with nearly seven overs to spare.

On the other hand, Knights put behind the disappointing loss against Lions with an impressive win against Titans on 1st March. Even though Mbulelo Budaza bowled superbly to pick up a fifer, Knights conceded 307 runs in the first inning. However, the target didn’t weigh them down as Andries Gous stepped up for the occasion with a mammoth hundred. With keeper Wandile Makwetu contributing with an unbeaten 47-run knock, the two batsmen saw their team home for a six-wicket victory.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Cape Cobras Preview

No batsman in this tournament has been as prolific as Cape Cobras’ skipper Zubayr Hamza this year. After all, Hamza leads the batting charts with 525 runs from seven games. Even though the duo of Pieter Malan and Jonathan Bird have done pretty well, it has to be said that Cobras have felt the absence of Janneman Malan and Kyle Verreynne to a massive extent.

Their scenario can’t be reflected a truer extent than the need to sign Mangaliso Mosehle on loan for the remainder of the tournament.

On the bowling front too, only the rookie Thando Ntini has performed consistently to pick 13 scalps in seven outings. The likes of Rory Kleinveldt and George Linde have been pretty good as support cast but Cobras would need at least one more strike bowler in their ranks.

Cape Cobras Predicted Playing XI:

Zubayr Hamza (C), Pieter Malan, Jonathan Bird, Mangaliso Mosehle (WK), Jason Smith, George Linde, Aviwe Mgijima, Rory Kleinveldt, Thando Ntini, Dane Paterson, Akhona Mnyaka

Cape Cobras Actual Playing XI:

Zubayr Hamza, Dane Piedt, Jonathan Bird, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Tayo Walbrugh, Mangaliso Mosehle, JF Smith, Akhona Mnyaka, Pieter Malan, Aviwe Mgijima, Ferisco Adams

Knights Preview

Like the Cobras, Knights’ overall batting statistics also make up for a sorry reading but they have helped by some big hundreds from opening batsmen Andries Gous and Jacques Snyman. Gous and Snyman have made 298 and 218 runs respectively in five matches until now. Without posting a fifty so far, keeper Wandile Makwetu has done a decent job too by mustering up 186 runs at an average of 37.20.

The major problem has been the fact that none of the other Knights batsmen have even crossed 100 runs in the tournament. Although a touch is expensive, the bowling attack has been well served by the trio of Mbulelo Budaza, Shaun von Berg and Ottniel Baartman. Budaza, in particular, has been the stand-out performer by contributing 14 wickets in just five games. It remains to be seen whether an exciting talent like Gerald Coetzee gets a go in this encounter.

Knights Predicted Playing XI:

Andries Gous, Jacques Snyman, Keegan Petersen, Grant Mokoena, Patrick Kruger, Wandile Makwetu (WK), Pite van Biljon (C), Shaun von Berg, Ottniel Baartman, Mbulelo Budaza, Marco Jansen

Knights Actual Playing XI:

AGS Gous, Ottneil Baartman, Shaun von Berg, Grant Mokoena, Keegan Petersen, Wandile Makwetu, Marco Jansen, Mbulelo Budaza, PJ van Biljon, Jacques Snyman, Patrick Kruger

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn has only hosted one game so far and that match was held way back on 2nd February. The venue produced a pretty decent which had something for everyone. In what was a rain-affected match, Cobras comfortably won by a margin of 31 runs after posting 274 in the first inning.

Meanwhile, spinners like George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy wreaked havoc in the solitary 4-Day Franchise Series match this season. With respect to the weather forecast, the Western Cape is expected to have pretty hot overhead conditions over the next very few days. In spite of that, AccuWeather has predicted a 24% chance for thunderstorms on Saturday.

Venue Details

The Recreation Ground is a secondary home venue for Cape Cobras. Located in the Western Cape, this venue is one where spinners tend to play a dominant role with regularity. The ground also hosted a few African T20 Cup matches in the past.

Toss: To Bat

The safest decision at the toss seems to be batting first at this venue. As mentioned quite a few times already, expect the spinners to come into the game during the latter half of the day.