Cobras may go for Euley
Wesley Euley, a left-handed batsman with a penchant for hitting sixes, could be the surprise call-up in the Cape Cobras line-up for their Pro20 campaign.
Coach Shukri Conrad has lined up two practice matches at Paarl on Tuesday and another at Bellville on Wednesday afternoon to examine his options outside his established squad. "I am looking for a player who can make a difference in the space of a couple of overs," he said.
There won't be major changes to the side that successfully won the MTN Domestic Championship in the first half of the season.
Ashwell Prince is obviously not available, but Adam Bacher and Alan Dawson, two key performers in the trophy success, are back in the picture, as is Charl Willoughby, who missed the one-day campaign for family reasons.
"They have both been playing club cricket - Bacher for the bulk of the season for Old Eds in Johannesburg and Dawson the last few weeks for Claremont - so they should fit back into the groove quite quickly," Conrad added.
The one positive for the Cobras coming out of the last few rounds of the SuperSport Series has been that the batsmen have started to put runs on the board, including taking a first-innings lead of 143 in the last match against the Lions at Potchefstroom.
"There is a much higher level of confidence," Conrad said. "We got ourselves into winning positions in the last two matches - both away from home - but unfortunately we had bad weather when we didn't need it."
Euley has certainly shown form at the right moment. He made an unbeaten 71 (105 balls, 7x4 2x6) for the Western Province amateur side against their Boland counterparts on Saturday and this included a match-winning unbroken partnership of 151 for the fourth wicket with Richard Levi, who made his second first-class century in only his sixth innings.
Euley made a further 70 (84 balls, 5x4 2x6) in Sunday's 45-overs match against Boland, while James Kuiper contributed 88 off 89 balls (8x4 1x6). Coincidentally, this pair also shared an unbroken partnership of 151 in 25 overs.
Levi and Kuiper, two of the top youngsters in the Western Province, are also contenders for the side although there is only likely to be room for one or possibly two newcomers at the most.
Euley can keep wicket and, in fact, understudied Thami Tsolekile in this role for most of his career in the Western Province youth sides but it is unlikely that such a move will be contemplated now.
The Cobras side should not differ much from the following: Adam Bacher, Andrew Puttick, JP Duminy, Henry Davids, Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt, Wesley Euley, Thami Tsolekile (capt), Con de Lange, Alan Dawson, Charl Willoughby.
This week's Pro20 fixtures
Wednesday: Eagles vs Warriors
Friday: Lions vs Cobras (6pm start), Warriors vs Dolphins
Sunday: Cobras vs Warriors (2.30pm start), Titans vs Eagles