Double duty for Boland Landbou against Outeniqua and Langenhoven Gim
Boland Landbou‘s 1st XI is on the road this weekend and has a full schedule. Firstly, they take on Hoërskool Outeniqua, in a 50-over match on Saturday before measuring themselves against Langenhoven Gimnasium in a second outing, a T20, on Sunday.
For the 50 over against the Kwaggas, the Farmers will hope to find some bounce in the pitch in George. Earlier in the year, Tiaan Ryke did a fine job leading the Boland Landbou bowling attack. The Farmers will look to him to pick up from where he left off.
The Kwaggas know their pitch well and will have a good idea of how to play the conditions. Perhaps a more conservative and orthodox batting style may favour them this weekend, especially with it being an early season match. Hitting out against a team expected to bring aggressive pace and bounce would be a risky approach.
Fresh off the rugby season, the Farmers might be wise to also follow a conservative formula when they visit the crease. Cricket is a confidence game, and that is something that is built through time spent out in the middle. It all starts at the top of the order, where withstanding the challenges posed by the new ball bowlers is the key to laying a foundation and building confidence.
Of course, Sunday’s T20 against Langenhoven Gimnasium provides a different set of circumstances, perhaps an opportunity for the Farmers to experiment a little ahead of their Schools SA20 campaign.
For Langenhoven Gimnasium, the clash will be about getting in some game time, and their batsmen will be in for a tough test from the Paarl outfit’s bowlers, who will challenge them both with pace and with spin.
The course of a T20 match can flip very quickly. Two or three dominant overs from the batsmen, or two or three quick wickets for the bowlers can make all the difference. Intensity is the name of the game, doling out pressure and handling pressure. That’s what both teams will be aiming to achieve on Sunday.
As the underdogs, Langenhoven will be under less pressure. They might feel less inhibited about hitting out, while the bowling task need not be complicated: line and length. Some aggression from their pace bowlers would help, too.
Early in the season, the game is less predictable with sides seeking to answer questions, especially those about the makeup of teams, with new players stepping up to 1st XI level. That’s what makes the weekend’s clashes especially interesting.
