Limited Overs Domestic - South Africa and Australia’s best resume hostilities for supremacy
by Juris Graney
Ford Ranger Cup Odds
Victoria vs. South Australia
Tuesday, November 3, 9.45pm
Victoria –220
South Australia +175
MTN Domestic Championship Odds
Lions vs Dolphins
Wednesday, November 4, 8.45am
Lions –130
Dolphins Eve
While winter lurks just around the corner in the northern hemisphere, below the equator and the southerners are basking in the summer climes and it is not just the temperature that is rising with Australia’s Ford Ranger Cup and South Africa’s MTN Domestic Championship now in full swing.
The latter has been given a minor tweak in the off season much to the chagrin of fans however the tournament is expected to bloom under the revised 40-over format, won from the 45-over version of previous years.
Lions and Cape Cobras proved it to be a big hit in the first game of the year with 575 runs scored in 80 overs the Cape Cobras chasing down 286 with ease, two of its batsmen Andrew Puttick and JP Duminy each scoring centuries on their way to a seven wicket win.
The pair has just come from a sterling Champions League Twenty20 Championship in which they helped elevate their team to the semi-finals of the tournament.
The Lions have had a poor start to the tournament so far losing both its matches the last a 104 run thumping at Bloemfontein against the Eagles who piled on 286 runs. The Lions struggled their way to all out for 182 in 35 overs with only former Proteas international Neil McKenzie (53) showing any substance.
The Dolphins narrowly missed out on their first competition points in their opening match of the tournament falling just 14 runs short in an inspired run chase against the Warriors.
Chasing 213 shouldn’t have been too much of a worry however when their top order of Hashim Amla (3), Ahmed Amla (1) and HD Ackerman (0) all failed, the Dolphins were going to struggle.
The Warriors marquee quick Makhaya Ntini (1/37 off 8 overs) was overshadowed by the promising Lonwabo Tsotsobe who destroyed that top order with 4/27, chiming in later in the innings to dismiss the dangerous Andrew Hall for 51.
The smart money is for a Lions victory.
Meanwhile Victoria (-220) are rightly placed as favourites to beat South Australia in the Ford Ranger Cup despite their choice to bench quick Dirk Nannes.
Nannes was a star of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament for Victoria but they also have a blistering arsenal, which will welcome the return of spearhead Shane Harwood.
South Australia has lost the services of Mark Cosgrove who is suffering a hamstring injury and have lost their first two matches of the Ford Ranger Cup series. This match marks Victoria’s first game having been on the sub-continent participating in the T20 tournament along with NSW.
