After a clinical start in the Cricket South Africa Division 2 Four Day competition where the Six Gun Grill Garden Route Badgers recorded a comprehensive 283 runs victory against the Eastern Cape Iianyathi in their opening fixture in the beginning of November, the Badgers will now face the Eastern Storm from 23-26 November.
Jean du Plessis and his confident troops will host the Eastern Storm at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn as from Thursday in their second fixture of this competition. The Badgers must win this competition in their aspirations for promotion to division 1 at the end of the season.
They are currently at 26 bonus points after the one match but they will chase the log leaders, the ITEC Knights, who also had a solid start to the season and is leading at 64.60 points after two matches where they recorded outright victories.
The home team will take confidence from the batting performances of Jean du Plessis, Kelly Smuts and Blayde Capell who all scored centuries while spin bowler, Thomas Kaber, bagged 10 wickets in the encounter against the Iianyathi.
The Badgers will be without Ruan Terblanche who underwent ankle surgery and will most likely miss the rest of the season while Khwezi Gumede is also recovering from an ankle injury.
The promising Liyabona Malife, who had a satisfactory first-class debut against the Iianyathi is unavailable for selection, but Pheko Moletsane will replace him and will make a welcome return to the team. Moletsane has recovered from a knee operation and the versatile ex-St Andrews and SA U/19 player is ready to fill Malife’s boots.
The starting XI of the Badgers is:
Blayde Capell, Hanno Kotze, Matthew Christensen, Jean du Plessis (captain), Kelly Smuts, Jhedli van Briesies, Pheko Moletsane, Thomas Kaber, Marcello Piedt, Sintu Majiza and Herschell America. Play will start daily at 10:00 (from Thursday to Sunday).
Badgers ready to face the Eastern Storm
Pheko Moletsane. Photo: Supplied