The Dafabet Warriors will begin their push for a place in the YesPlay Pro20 Cup final four on Saturday when they launch their Super 8s cricket campaign against the YesPlay Cobras at Dafabet St George’s Park.
The Warriors finished third in pool B after four wins from seven matches, collecting 22 points to secure their place in the next phase.
Their group campaign included defeats against the North West Dragons and the Eastern Cape Iinyathi and a washed-out fixture against the Lions, leaving coach Robin Peterson and his charges with plenty to build on as the competition enters the next stage.
The Super 8s will see the Warriors, who are the defending domestic T20 champions, face the four teams who qualified from pool A, with the points accumulated in the group phase carried into the new stage.
Their opening assignment is against the Cobras on Saturday at 6pm in Gqeberha, before they welcome a tricky Boland side on Thursday November 5, also at 6pm at St George’s Park.
The Cobras enjoyed an impressive group campaign, winning six of their seven matches to finish third in pool A on 26 points, making them formidable opening opponents for the Warriors.
After the Boland clash, the Warriors will hit the road for their third Super 8s match against World Sports Betting Eastern Storm at Willowmoore Park on November 8.
That fixture is scheduled for a 10am start in Benoni before they finish their Super 8s campaign against the Momentum Multiply Titans at SuperSport Park in Centurion on November 11.
The Titans topped pool A after winning six of their seven matches and accumulating 28 points, setting up another stern test for the Warriors in their final match.
With only four teams advancing to the knockout stage, every result will carry significant weight, particularly with the teams bringing their pool points into the Super 8s.
For the Warriors, the immediate challenge will be to turn the encouraging parts of their group campaign into greater consistency against sides they did not face during the opening phase.
The Cobras provide the first test, but the Warriors will know that the route to the final four requires sustained performances across all four matches.
Having already navigated the group stage, the Warriors now have an opportunity to build on what they have learnt, address the shortcomings exposed by their two defeats and put themselves in contention for another run deep into the competition and, ultimately, a place in the final.
