Brand feels for Knights, backs Titans youngsters in Lions Four-Day Series final

IN typical South African fashion, the attention heading into Thursday’s Cricket SA Four-Day Series final between the Lions and Titans at the Wanderers (10am start) is not on what will potentially happen on the field, but on matters off it.

All eyes are on CSA’s decision as to which team between the Knights and the Warriors will be relegated to Division Two.

As things stand, the promotion-relegation standings favour the Warriors to keep their Division One status, but the Knights are pleading their case to stay in the top-flight, due to the Warriors’ transformation saga.

When CSA dealt with the Warriors for not meeting the transformation targets during the One-Day Cup, they only docked points and did not take away their victory in the wins column in the One-Day Cup table.

That resulted in the Warriors securing a higher position than the Knights in the One-Day Cup, and thus in the promotion-relegation table, resulting in the Knights suffering their second relegation.

Asked on Wednesday about his thoughts on the situation and how the structure is set up, Titans captain Neil Brand expressed sympathy for the Knights, a team that have made massive improvements since their first relegation.

“There’s been a lot going on with the point structure from the One-Day Cup. It’s tough on the Knights. They really don’t deserve to go down, which I guess is the way it is in the nature of cricket at the moment,” Brand said.

“I’m not going to comment on the system. It is what it is, and I’m not sure if it’s going to change in the future.

“It is pretty ruthless going from Division One to Division Two. Financially, for the Knights, it’s a big blow. It’s sad to see.”

While Brand is sympathetic for the Knights and the teams threatened with relegation, he still has a side to lead in the five-day-long final that gets underway on Thursday morning at the Bullring.

The 28-year-old batter has been leading a team in transition all season, and is pleased that youngsters such as Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis are making their presence felt in the format.

The two youngsters have one three-figure score each since the Four-Day Series resumed last month, and Brand hopes that they can carry that form into the final this week.

“It’s been great to see Lhuan-dre and Dewald step up in this format. Obviously, Dewald’s been playing for us for a couple of years now, but Lhuan-dre’s really shown how good he is in four-day cricket as well,” he said.  

“So, they’ve both got massive futures ahead of them, and we know that as a team, if they bat for a long period of time, they’re going to be in a good position.

“Hopefully, they can do that again this week.”

Brand and his troops are yet to win a trophy this season, having missed out on the One-Day Cup and the T20 Challenge earlier in the season.

Given the high standards at Titans cricket, Brand knows they are under pressure as a squad to bring the Four-Day Series trophy to SuperSport Park and win at least one title this season.

“It would be a disappointment if we don’t win the trophy. But for me, it’s also about seeing the growth of the younger players and our squad coming up now,” he said.

“I think winning this trophy will be a cherry on top, and we’ll be doing everything we can to win the trophy.

“We know the pressure that comes with playing for the Titans, so hopefully, we can win at least one trophy this season.”