Titans embrace being favourites with AB and co as weapons

The Titans are content to have the favourites tag on them for the domestic One-day Cup final against the Warriors in Centurion on Friday.

They have focused on their mental preparation going into the match and believe that getting the basics right will put them on course for their second trophy this season.

“We’ve got the firepower to beat most teams but our focus is on getting the basics right. Mental rest is more important now after playing four games in six days, and it’s key to understand that you have a lot more time than you think in 50-over cricket.

“Sometimes you feel like it’s a 30-over game and you can get ahead of yourselves. If we can control the pace of the game then we should be able to get the result we’re banking on,” Titans coach Mark Boucher said.

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Captain Albie Morkel was also preaching caution for his side, which won the domestic T20 challenge by beating the Warriors by six runs in the final, also at home.

“On paper we look the stronger side, but we’re not playing on paper. The Warriors are a very good team and conditions aren’t going to favour one side over the other. We’ve been pretty successful with the added pressure of finals and we want to experience that success again,” Morkel said.

Henry Davids, top of the batting averages, is back in the frame for selection after a hamstring injury and the Titans can also call on potential world-class match-winners in AB de Villiers and Chris Morris.

De Villiers is likely to come in at four after a powerful Titans top-order of Davids, Aiden Markram and Heino Kuhn, with potent finishers Farhaan Behardien, Morkel and Morris to follow.

But the Warriors seem to have boosted their wicket-taking capabilities with fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Basheer Walters now in the picture.

“It’s a blessing that we have that different avenue to take with our attack and we are content with our game-plan. We showed the other side of our attack in our tight win over the Knights in the qualifier and we stayed calm in our previous final as well. So we take a lot from that experience,” Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa said.

Warriors captain Jon-Jon Smuts agreed with Boucher’s assessment of his former team as being “real scrappers” and with himself and key batsman Colin Ingram both in prime match-winning form, the Eastern Cape side know they can pull off another win in Centurion.

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