A full round of Ram Slam T20 Challenge fixtures will take place around the country on Friday.
The Knights take on the Titans in Bloemfontein. The men from the Free State completed a comfortable win in the corresponding fixture and another loss for the Titans could end their title ambitions after just four games.
In the juiciest match of the round, the Lions welcome the Cape Cobras to Johannesburg. They have been the two most impressive sides in the early stages of the competition this clash could be a dress rehearsal for the final.
The lowly Warriors take on the Dolphins in Port Elizabeth. The hosts have already suffered a bonus point defeat at the hands of the defending champions and if they don’t make their home ground advantage count in their favour then they could also be out of contention.
Players to watch:
Rudi Second has consistently got the Knights off to good starts, but is yet to kick on and make a match-winning contribution. On a good wicket in Bloemfontein, this could be his night. For the Titans, Henry Davids is due some runs. He is one of the few South African domestic players to score a T20 century and something similar is required to dig the Titans out of the hole they find themselves in.
Chris Gayle and Richard Levi will go head to head in Johannesburg. Both have scored T20I centuries and have the ability to single-handedly win a match on their day. The winner of this individual battle will probably decide the match. If both come off, then there will be plenty of chances for the crowd to take one-handed catches in the stands and win a share of the million rand prize.
Dwayne Bravo hasn’t set the competition alight during his time at the Dolphins. With his countrymen doing the business for their franchises, he will be eager to put in a big performance. For the Warriors, they need to post bigger totals to be competitive. Colin Ingram is the man who can lead them to big scores and it’s time for him to fire.
Predictions:
The Titans often play their best cricket with their backs to the wall. For this reason, they should win and keep their challenge alive.
The match in Johannesburg could go either way. The Cape Cobras possess more match-winners, though, and go into the encounter as marginal favourites.
The Dolphins should compound the Warriors misery in Port Elizabeth and all but knock them out of the competition.
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