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“We need to improve on pretty much everything. Our batting let us down badly,” said Dane Vilas, newly promoted Buildnat Cape Cobras’ star, about the 10-wicket loss against the bizhub Highveld Lions last week in a Sunfoil Series clash at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
Vilas was yesterday included in a 15-man test squad for the series against Australia in November.
Asked about his selection, he said he knows he is there as second-choice wicketkeeper. “But I would like to believe that my contributions with the bat did have an impact on the selection,” he added.
Vilas struck 761 runs in the Sunfoil Series last season and 282 runs in the Momentum One Day Cup campaign.
He was recently honoured as one of the South African Cricket Annual’s five cricketers of the year.
Vilas is part of the Buildnat Cape Cobras that flew to Bloemfontein yesterday to take part in the Sunfoil Series clash against the VKB Knights at the Mangaung Oval starting on Tuesday 11th October.Vilas was blunt in his assessment about what went wrong at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, where the Cobras only managed 102 runs in the first innings and 211 in the second innings in their first Sunfoil Series match against the Lions.
He said the top-order batting on a tough wicket which had bounce and pace aplenty, was the main area of concern.
It needs to improve dramatically.
Vilas was frank about the twin threat of Marchant de Lange and Duanne Olivier, who dismissed the Multiply Titans for a paltry 57 when the VKB Knights played against the Titans last week. “I’m looking forward to bat against them. You always want to test yourself against some of the best bowlers,” he said.
Although Vilas made it clear that he respects Olivier and De Lange, he added: “I won’t stand back against them.”
Perhaps that is the spirit that the Buildnat Cape Cobras are most in need of. They require the defiance, the feistiness and the adventurous and determined spirit that were lacking in the four-day showpiece the past season or two.
Andrew Puttick won’t participate as his father is ill, and he will be replaced by Matthew Kleinveldt.
On franchise-debut two seasons ago, Kleinveldt struck 97 against the then Sunfoil Dolphins.
Vernon Philander had to undergo a dental procedure in Cape Town on Monday and he was ruled out of the match.
The left-arm swing bowler Beuran Hendricks is ready to step into the breach and produce the type of performance who once had him finish with a match-haul of 11-63 against India A in 2013.
The BuildNat Cape Cobras squad is: Omphile Ramela (capt), Zubayr Hamza, Beuran Hendricks, Aviwe Mgijima, Tshepo Moreki, Dane Paterson, Keegan Petersen, Dane Piedt, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas, Matthew Kleinveldt, Jason Smith.
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