Duan Jansen has been a star performer with bat and ball for the Titans in the 1-Day Cup thus far.
Image: BackpagePix
The table-topping Warriors kickstart this week’s CSA 1-Day Division One Cup competition with a home match against the North West Dragons at St George’s Park on Tuesday.
The Warriors top the log with 10 points and are eager to maintain their momentum in their bid to secure their third domestic final for the season, after winning the T20 Challenge and finishing runners-up to the Lions in CSA 4-Day Series.
The home team will need to be wary of Dragons seamer Onke Nyaku, who is joint top of the wicket-takers table with eight scalps at an average of 12.97.
The Lions, meanwhile, will be hoping the rain stays away when they meet the Dolphins in this week’s 1-Day Cup clash at the Wanderers.
Both teams have been heavily affected by weather during their respective campaigns, but it is the Lions, in particular, that will be yearning to get in some gametime at the Bullring.
Russell Domingo’s side have only managed to play one of their three matches thus far with last Friday’s clash against the Warriors their second consecutive abandoned match.
It has seen them slip down to fourth place, although they are level on eight points with Boland (2nd) and Titans (3rd) respectively.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, had their KwaZulu-Natal derby rained off against the Tuskers, but the defending champions at least managed to squeeze in a 12-run Duckworth Lewis victory over the Titans at Kingsmead on Friday evening.
Western Province have had no such weather issues with the Western Cape currently experiencing a heat wave with temperatures expected to soar over 40 degrees Celsius in their derby against Boland at Newlands on Wednesday.
Province’s problems have been more on the field with Rory Kleinveldt’s rooted to the bottom of the table after suffering three consecutive defeats. They pushed the Titans all the way at Centurion on Sunday with the hosts’ claiming a two-wicket victory, courtesy of a half-century from No 9 Duan Jansen, but that would have rubbed further salt into Province’s gaping wounds.
Boland, meanwhile, are riding high after back-to-back victories over North West Dragons and the Tuskers and will be looking to maintain their push for another berth in the 1-Day Cup final after a narrow defeat to the Dolphins last year.
The Titans also welcome the Tuskers to Centurion on Thursday before a full round of fixtures gets underway again over the weekend all around the country.
Jansen has not only shone with the bat, but equally with the ball with the lanky Titans allrounder claiming eight wickets at an average of 14.75 thus far.